The Imperial Princess
by WhiteMint
Summary: In the imperial capital of Konoha, it was the norm for men to reign supreme while wives and concubines lived in seclusion like elegant flowers inside a locked garden. However, everything changed when one pink-haired medic entered the capital. Ancient Chinese AU. SakuraxMulti
1. The Imperial Decree

Summary: In the imperial capital of Konoha, it was the norm for men to reign supreme while wives and concubines lived in seclusion like elegant flowers inside a locked garden. However, everything changed when one pink-haired medic entered the capital. SakuraxMulti

* * *

Chapter 1: The Imperial Decree

* * *

"Tsunade, this king is eternally grateful for you saving my only brother."

A blonde haired woman gave a small smile as she slowly sipped her wine. Ahh… Nothing beats the fine liquors stored in the vaults of the imperial palace. She had twin pigtails, piercing hazel eyes, and was a busty woman dressed in a simple green robe. Even dressed so simply, she had this air of confidence, or maybe one could even call it arrogance, that most people – let alone women – typically did not have in front of the company that she was currently in.

As she continued to enjoy the alcohol, she turned to look at the man sitting across the table from her - the emperor of Konoha, Uchiha Madara. He was a tall young man at the age of 20 dressed in imperial robes. The cloth was made of the finest silk dyed to the color of midnight. Embroidered on his chest was a golden dragon, the symbol only the king could wear, that was coiled around a red and white fan symbolic of the Uchiha clan. He had long messy black hair and his eyes that were dark and unfathomable like a deep black well. However unchangingly black those eyes seemed at the moment, Tsunade remembered his eyes when she first walked in a scant few hours ago to heal his brother.

That time those eyes were full of rage and were red like fire. He had been yelling at the imperial physicians who were all on their knees in fear and helplessness. They were unable to cure his younger brother Izuna Uchiha who was bedridden and dying from disease. The physicians were the cream of the crop in Konoha, but even they couldn't cure a disease they had never seen before. At the time, Madara was close to executing the useless physicians until Tsunade stepped in.

"Your highness, there is no need to execute your imperial physicians. This one will heal your younger brother." She stated as she walked in and saluted Uchiha Madara. The blazing red eyes with three tomoe stared at her calm hazel eyes as if trying to pierce her soul. When Madara noted her unwavering stance that held no fear of him, he relented. He was willing to do anything, as long as his younger brother got better.

"This king will give you five hours. If my brother is not feeling better by then, I will have your head... But if you can cure him, you will be rewarded with anything you wish."

Tsunade smirked and started walking towards the bedchamber containing a very sick Izuna Uchiha. As she was followed by her aide Shizune, she calmly spoke to Madara, "All I need is three hours."

Now back at the present time, Madara glanced at the female doctor that was drinking his wine like a bottomless pit and signaled for a servant, "Get twenty jars of the finest wine in this king's cellar and pack them for the doctor to take with her when she leaves."

The servant bowed, "This servant will do so immediately."

When the servant left to do his bidding, they were alone in the room. He turned back towards the blonde woman, "This king will keep his promise. If there is anything you wish, it will be given." As Tsunade finally set her cup down, she calmly looked at the king, "What this doctor wants is but a simple imperial decree." Madara narrowed his eyes - imperial decrees were anything but simple, and she continued to talk, "The decree will have no effect on your ruling but is only to help a child that I have adopted."

"Explain in detail why you would wish to have an imperial decree. After all, this king is the only one who can write an imperial decree and once it has been written, no one – even this king himself – can refute it."

An imperial decree was dangerous and unchangeable. The power of the emperor of Konoha rested solely on his ability to write imperial decrees that could affect the fate of nations. Which was why the history of Konoha was spotted with incompetent rulers who used that power for their own sick self-satisfaction. One such king was Madara's father, whose ruling had caused Konoha to nearly fall to ruin, and thus was assassinated, allowing his eldest son Madara to obtain the crown at the young age of 15. However terrible of a ruler his father was, Madara was not. Within the past five years of his rule, Madara changed the entire base of the government of Konoha, executing the greedy and useless government officials left and right, and allowing those why were qualified to take their place. He was a ruthless ruler ascended his thrown in a path of blood, but the people in Konoha loved him, for he was a fair ruler who cared for the country and punished those who deserved punishment with an iron fist. As a good ruler, he was also very careful. In the five years of his reign, he had only made one imperial decree. The fact that Tsunade wanted an imperial decree from him did not sit well with him.

As Tsunade poured herself more wine, she gazed at the clear liquor and started talking.

"When I was young, I grew up with my best friend who was the beloved daughter of a minor noble. Her name was Mebuki and she was like a flower – beautiful, sweet, and caring. She was raised like a gem and everyone loved her and doted on her... However, when her father started losing his money and power due to the economic crisis in Konoha-"

Madara knew that while she did not state it explicitly, the economic crisis was caused by his late father.

"-he had no choice but to affiliate with a powerful family in order to survive. While he didn't want to marry his gem of a daughter off to someone undeserving, she was the one who volunteered to marry into a rich clan for her family's sake. He initially refused, but once there was no hope for his small family, he finally succumbed and let her marry into the Haruno clan as the main wife, regretting it every step of the way. The clan head who married Mebuki did not care for her at all, and only wanted to be the one to own Mebuki as if she was some pet, for she was known at the time for her famed beauty and grace. The only time he was with her was on the wedding night, which resulted in the birth of a single daughter. Aside from that one night, he preferred to stay with his many concubines and left her alone to live her life in solitude. While there are many things that I can cure, I could not help my best friend who wanted nothing but to die. She, who grew up loved by her family and friends, was treated as nothing within the Haruno clan because her husband treated her as nothing. Concubines hated her for the title she held as main wife while the servants didn't treat her well because they could get away with it. She spent her life locked away within the walls of the Haruno household with enemies everywhere and only her newborn daughter that she protected with the little power that she had."

Tsunade then glanced up at Madara, "When your majesty came to rule, one of your first acts was to destroy the corrupted Haruno clan. One of the most vile and corrupted clans of the time lost their heads along with their power and blood money. At the loss of her husband, my best friend was able to go back to her family along with her daughter Sakura. However, her life of misery being married to the Haruno clan made her weak and she died quickly to leave her daughter without parents at the tender age of 5. I have adopted her daughter to take as my own daughter and student. Once I leave the palace, I plan to travel around the world with Sakura and Shizune so that she can learn the art of medicine."

Madara was starting to understand where Tsunade was getting at and spoke, "Even though Sakura is now considered your daughter, she is still of noble blood, and while the Haruno's have fallen due to this king, there is no doubt that her ancestry will be one that will make her yet another chess piece once she comes to be of marriageable age."

Tsunade nodded, "My best friend could not avoid the politics that all women face once it is time to marry. Families practically sell their daughters to husbands for money and politics. And once married to a husband, the household is filled with murder and plots among the women where the wife and concubines are bloodthirsty and cruel in order to gain their husband's affection in order to increase their status. If it hadn't been known that Mebuki's unborn child was going to be a daughter, my best friend would have undoubtedly been poisoned for either a miscarriage or killed, all to prevent Mebuki from gaining any power if she happened to carry a Haruno heir. This cruel lifestyle is one I do not want Sakura to face. I have lost my best friend due to her marriage, and I do not wish to lose her daughter just because of an unloved marriage. While I cannot do anything about this, your majesty can." And she looked meaningfully at Madara.

Madara gave a smirk of acknowledgement, "Come, we will go to my office." When they reached his office that was filled to the brim with documents that needed his signature, he took out a key that only he carried and opened a small compartment under his desk. Within the compartment were empty scrolls. However, the scrolls were not just simple ones made of paper, but ones made of fine threads of gold and silver with the embroidery of a dragon in the back. With such expensive material for making the scroll, it was obvious that such scroll were meant only for one thing – imperial decrees. Madara then opened a blank scroll, picked up his brush, and started writing.

"This imperial decree declares that Haruno Sakura will be granted the title and privilege of First Princess of the Imperial Family in the highest rank. Those who wish to marry her may only do so at her consent. She will also be able to divorce her husband on her own free will should she ever choose to."

Madara then signed the scroll and stamped it with the imperial stamp. "Will this do?" He addressed Tsunade.

Tsunade smiled gratefully and accepted the scroll with a bow, "Yes, this one is grateful."

Madara sat down on his chair and studied Tsunade who was holding the imperial decree like a treasure, "There is no need to announce this to the general public now. Once the time comes where Sakura will be of marriageable age, she may use the decree whenever she wishes."

Tsunade nodded her head to his words. While the decree did not hold much power politically, it was one that would change the society completely once it was known that Sakura, currently a small child at the age of 5, held a power that no woman has ever had in history, the power to choose her own husband.

When Madara watched Tsunade leave the palace along with her aide, he contemplated the imperial decree that he had just written with a slight smile on his face. His eyes held a tinge of red from his excitement. Oh, he looked forward to the turmoil that will definitely occur once the young Sakura will grow older. With her new status as First Princess and her power to choose who to be with, she will no doubt be a storm that will destroy the complacent society of Konoha.

He chuckled at the thought of what will happen in the future.

But even he, the emperor, could not predict that he himself will be involved in the future turmoil.

* * *

WhiteMint: I know I should be working on my other series but this idea wouldn't leave my head and I felt like I absolutely had to write it. The background is very similar to ancient China back when it was ruled by an imperial family but I tweaked things around and just called it Konoha. In ancient China, the king always referred to himself as "zhen" which was reserved only for the king and basically meant "this king". So instead of saying "I approve", it would be "this king approves". I always thought of this as pretty cool so in my story, Madara will be the only one to use this form of address. Also, other forms of address are basically different ways of saying "I" depending on who you are speaking to. For example, if a servant addressed the master or any other noble, it would be as "this servant". If you are curious on the background of the story, there's this Chinese drama called Scarlet Heart (you should be able to find it with subtitles somewhere. I found it on youtube) that was the muse for me to want to write this fanfic. Though rest assured, none of the characters have half-shaved heads. I always thought that was ugly.


	2. The Messenger

Summary: In the imperial capital of Konoha, it was the norm for men to reign supreme while wives and concubines lived in seclusion like elegant flowers inside a locked garden. However, everything changed when one pink-haired medic entered the capital. SakuraxMulti

* * *

Chapter 2: The Messenger

* * *

 _10 years later_

Madara frowned at the useless physicians that were once again in front of him. He was currently seated on the dragon throne looking down at all the physicians who, along with the officials that were still healthy, were kneeling down at his wrath.

"What do you mean you can't find the cure?"

The chief physician in Konoha kneeling the closest to the emperor gulped down in fear as he looked up at Madara's stone cold gaze, his back covered in sweat, "Your majesty, we have no idea how to cure the disease that has spread within the capital. We've tried every method possible!"

Madara frowned, his eyes were turning red from fury, "Aren't the symptoms similar to back when Izuna got sick? I thought you all watched and took notes on how Tsunade cured him."

The physician nervously nodded and replied, "Yes, we've used the exact same method that she did back when she was here and we even used the same prescription that she had suggested back then. However, instead of curing the patient completely, all we've managed to do is delay the disease."

"How long can the disease be delayed?"

"Back when Izuna-sama caught the disease, he was near death after two weeks. However, with medicine and treatment, we can delay the disease up to two months."

Even with using all the medicine within Konoha and all the physicians working for a cure, the disease was slowly but surely spreading among the capital. Many of his important officials had been struck and if it wasn't cured soon, he would lose half his government. He internally raged at the thought. Madara had spent a grueling 15 years of reign in order to organize a balanced and fair government. He had spent countless hours picking the best among the clans within Konoha, choosing their ideal paths within the government, and training them into excellent officials. He even had to take the clan power into consideration and make sure no single clan within Konoha had too much governmental sway. To think that years of work could be unraveled within months just from a single disease. He wanted to punch the physician in front of him, and it took all his self control to stop himself.

Even with all his might as king, there was nothing he could do. This sense of helplessness was a foreign emotion, one that he did not like having.

"Sent someone to find Tsunade. I need her back to Konoha immediately!"

* * *

Tsunade frowned as she showed her hand to the rest of the players. She was seated at a mahjong table in a small casino located in Sound. As the other players gasped at her ungodly good tiles and Shizune cried tears of happiness that they had now won enough money for a month's worth of travel expenses, Tsunade got up from the table she had been gambling at for the past 5 hours. As the other players complained that she didn't seem to be eager to gamble away her winnings, she started walking away.

"Tsunade-sama? Where are you going?" Shizune cried as she hastily grabbed the large stack of money from the table.

"Home!"

But when she walked towards the door of the casino, a dozen soldiers suddenly entered and formed two lines around the door, blocking anyone from entering and intimidating those who wanted to leave from getting close. As the soldiers stood in formation, a young man walked through the door. His robes were a fine brown silk with forest green embroidery lining the edges. The chest of his robes had a silver stag so intricately stitched that it looked like it could almost run away at any moment. His straight, black hair was tied up in a short ponytail that spiked upwards and his black eyes had a calculating glance as he looked Tsunade. He held an air of laziness with his relaxed posture that Tsunade knew was fake. This man left no openings in his stance and was poised like a sword ready to be drawn immediately.

The presence of the soldiers caused a flurry of gossip to spread among the patrons of the casino. A crowd was starting to form and a loose ring of people surrounded the young man with the soldiers along with Tsunade and a quivering Shizune standing in front of him. The blonde woman glared at the man in front of her and spoke up, "What does he want now?"

The man knew she was being vague on purpose due to the crowd around them and followed with equally vague words, "Your presence is required. We are here to escort you." And along with his words, he gave her a slight bow.

Tsunade scoffed, "How kind of the man… Lead the way. But we need to stop by somewhere first."

The man gestured towards the carriage waiting for them, "Most certainly."

Inside the carriage sat Tsunade, Shizune, and the young man. When the carriage started rolling towards the address that Tsunade had barked at the driver, the man spoke up, "After we grab everything that you need to bring, we must make haste towards the capital. His majesty requires your medical services again." Tsunade ignored his words and asked, "So who are you to be able to find me so fast? I don't exactly publicize my identity, so for you to be able to find me, you must not be just a simple messenger."

The man frowned at her words, "Forgive me for the late introduction, my name is Nara Shikamaru. I am the imperial tactician and head of the strategy department. His majesty wanted you to be found immediately so I was the one ordered to get you. I followed your trail of gambling debts in order to find you."

"The imperial tactician? It's an honor for you to come personally then." Tsunade purposely ignored the words, 'gambling debts'.

Shikamaru coughed in embarrassment, "We had to make sure you will come, and…" He glanced away, "The epidemic that has spread through the capital has caused a small shortage of manpower."

'Small indeed, if the king had to force a Nara to come pick me up.' Tsunade contemplated, studying the man in front of her. While she knew that the Nara clan was renowned for their intellect, they were the most notorious for their laziness and unwillingness to do anything. To make a Nara of high power come get her personally spoke of the desperation Madara currently must be in.

The carriage arrived at the gates of a small courtyard and stopped.

Tsunade got out of the carriage and started walking towards the gates, "Shikamaru, only you may enter."

At her stern words, the soldiers looked like they wanted to protest but the look on Shikamaru's face silenced them, "Stand by. I will be back soon."

As Shikamaru entered the gates with Tsunade and Shizune, his ears pricked he heard the faint sound of a guqin flowing from the back of the courtyard. The melody was soft and sang through the air like the bubbling of a small creak, and the notes from the guqin became clearer the further they walked in. Shikamaru felt a subtle relaxation in his shoulders as some of the stress he had was fading away. He was glad that the direction Tsunade was heading towards was also to the music, for he was getting curious for the identity of the musician.

When they entered the clearing in the back, Shikamaru felt his breath hitch at the sight in front of him. Within the yard were a few cherry trees that were scattering their pale pink petals in the wind as if dancing along with the beautiful and soothing music. Seated at a stone table was a young girl who was the source of the melody ringing throughout the courtyard. Her eyes were closed as her fingers danced expertly along the many strings of the guqin. She had long tresses of pink hair that was so soft, silky, and beautiful that they could put imperial silk makers to shame in the inability to produce a silk cloth even half as beautiful as her hair. Her face was a perfect oval shape and on it was a delicate small nose and soft red lips that were curved into a pure smile. Her long black eyelashes were like the wings of a butterfly that were caressing her lightly pink cheeks. She was dressed in simple cream silk robes with large red flowers embroidered throughout the dress. While the clothes were those you could buy from any decent store, on her dainty figure they looked as if they were woven by fairies from heaven. She was breathtakingly beautiful and while Shikamaru normally didn't think much of women - deeming them too troublesome most of the time - he felt as if he couldn't take his eyes off of her. He felt a faint sense of curiosity and, surprisingly, a sense of attraction towards this young woman. At that moment, all he wanted was for her to open her eyes, so that he could see the window of her soul.

As they stepped closer towards the fair maiden, Shikamaru noticed that her long and elegant fingers slowly stopped their caress above the guqin. Sensing their presence, the young pinkette slowly lifted her pale hands from the instrument in front of her and opened her eyes towards the company in front of her. Her eyes were the color of emerald and they sparkled with a beauty that no precious gems could even hope to replicate. As she glanced at Tsunade, her small pink lips lifted into an open smile revealing perfectly straight teeth the color of white pears as she spoke up, her gentle voice containing a slight tinge of humor, "Tsunade-shishou, since when do you bring guests?" Her melodious voice was as sweet as spun sugar and as soft as the clouds that Shikamaru like to gaze at during his free time. She captivated him as her eyes made contact with his own black pupils and he felt as if he was willing to switch his hobby of cloud watching to simply staring at the young lady in front of him.

Tsunade snorted at the greeting and sat down on the table next to her student, "This guest invited himself to see me." As she motioned for Shikamaru to do the same, he reluctantly removed his eyes from the young lady in front of him and sat down on the table across from her. As a cup of tea was placed in front of him – curtesy of Shizune who had went to prepare the beverage as soon as they entered the house – he glanced between the young lady who was packing up her instrument and Tsunade, who looked as if she wanted wine instead of the tea she was currently sipping on. Once Shizune joined them at the table with her own cup of the steaming beverage, Tsunade spoke up.

"Sakura, this man is Nara Shikamaru from Konoha.

Shikamaru, this is my student Haruno Sakura.

She will be going to Konoha with you instead of me."

* * *

WhiteMint: She's going to Konoha! Woo!

I gotta admit, I'm very bad at writing long phrases that describe the characters and environment of this story. I spend a large amount of time correcting my descriptions. I'm trying my best to be able to capture the beauty of the story that I want to write along with the elegance of the characters. For those who want to be able to visualize my imagination, I would suggest the manga Chouka Kou. I love the art in that manga because I think it is absolutely stunning.

For those who don't know what a guqin is, you can just google it up. But it's essentially a large stringed instrument that is normally placed on a table in front of you to play. Kinda like a keyboard maybe?


	3. The Imperial City

Summary: In the imperial capital of Konoha, it was the norm for men to reign supreme while wives and concubines lived in seclusion like elegant flowers inside a locked garden. However, everything changed when one pink-haired medic entered the capital. SakuraxMulti

* * *

Chapter 3: The Imperial City

* * *

A cluster of 3 carriages silently rolled along the dirt road. The carriages were simple but well made, giving an impression that the owner of the carriages was well off, but not rich. As travelers passed by the carriages, they made way around the guards that rode along the carriages on top of horses. When looking at the group of carriages, one's first impression would be that it was a merchant caravan. However, there were too few carriages to make one curious on the contents, and a couple of too many guards for bandits to deem the carriages worth assaulting. It was a common, and uninteresting sight, one which Shikamaru had meticulously planned so that the travel back to Konoha would be as safe as possible.

Within the middle carriage, if one were to peek inside, they would be flabbergasted at the interior of the carriage that did not match its exterior at all. The seats along the walls of the carriage were cushioned with soft silk pillows. The windows were covered with a sheer cloth that softened the sun shining into the carriage, giving the inside of the carriage a soft glow. And finally, the walls of the carriage were not the wood that was showing on the outside, but meticulously lined with expensive cotton cloth. The interior of the carriage was impeccably decorated that it could easily be a luxurious sedan for a high class noblewoman. And if one were to sit within the carriage, the ride felt too extraordinarily smooth for it to be traveling on rocky dirt roads, signifying that the carriage had a hidden spring system to make the bumpy roads unfelt.

Leaning against the wall of the carriage, Shikamaru studied the young man in front of him. Or, it would be easier to say that Shikamaru was studying the young woman in front of him who was disguised as a young man. Gone was the silk dress with flower embroideries, replaced with a light green men's robe that was simply lined with navy edges. The pink hair was now tied up in a high, tight bun with two locks of hair framing her face. The hair was no longer a silky pink, but looked faded and leaned more towards a red color. The black eye makeup that had originally graced her long lashes was gone, making her eyes appear smaller, and she had furthered that impression by keeping her eyes half open to hide away the large emeralds within. He noted the subtle use of makeup that made her nose look more masculine and the originally rose red lips were now an unimpressive nude. She had even given herself a few blemishes and freckles along her face. Finally, with a pair of black boots that were obviously too big for the petite young girl, she now looked like a simple young man. If one were to glance at her, they would see a young scholar that was a tad effeminate. She even fanned herself leisurely with a large white fan with calligraphy written on it, furthering the impression.

He had originally looked at her with unbridled awe at her beauty. Now that she no longer looked like a goddess from the heavens, he was able to clear his head. His earlier infatuation was dangerous, and now he mentally made sure to be on guard.

"I'm impressed with your ability to disguise yourself so well," Shikamaru drawled out, earning a small chuckle from the young lady. "Three women traveling around the world, the fact that nothing has ever happened to us after all these years should prove to you that we are not as simple as you think," Sakura replied. Even the way she spoke was like that of a young man.

Shikamaru then gestured at her head, "Will your hair be fine? I had always assumed that women care a lot about their hair. Dye is harmful to hair, after all."

"This?" Sakura played with one of the locks framing her face, "It's just a simple herbal powder. The powder reduces shine and gives allows my hair to get a tinge of red, this will give me a more common appearance. Also, during this journey to Konoha, I would appreciate it if you just called me Haruno."

Shikamaru nodded his head in agreement, understanding her disguise. When Tsunade had announced that Sakura alone will be going with him to Konoha, he had mentally formulated ways to avoid curious eyes from taking note of the beautiful young woman in their party. However, when Sakura had walked back towards him with all her luggage and medical supplies, her appearance as a young man both relieved him and exasperated him. His thinking and worry had all been for naught. He should have just napped while waiting for her.

Back when the Haruno clan was eliminated from power, it had only been the main branch within the imperial city that was destroyed. The clan was originally a large and flourishing clan, with numerous branches spread throughout the country. Madara had not bothered with the residual members of the clan for the branch members were simple merchants or minor town nobles without the deadly ambitions and greed that the main branch members were full of. The clan was typically known for having red hair as a common feature and with her disguise, Sakura easily looked like one of the many members of the Haruno clan. Like a younger son with no power.

"How did you learn the art of disguise?" Shikamaru was genuinely curious, "Tsunade and Shizune do not seem the sort to be able to disguise themselves as well as you are doing at the moment."

"You're assumptions are correct. This one's teacher was the best, after all." And Sakura gave him a confident grin, looking every inch the young man she was pretending to be.

"Who taught you? If you don't wish to tell me, that is fine as well."

"As the imperial tactician, I'm sure you have heard of him. My teacher's name is Orochimaru."

'It seems that the Sannin still keep in touch with each other,' he noted in his head. Indeed, Shikamaru knew about the man. During Madara's ascension to the throne, Konoha was nearly at the brink of war. Many countries drooled at the thought of owning the Land of Fire, which they deemed as ripe pickings. The previous king was an incompetent, and they all assumed the new boy king was just a puppet ruler. How wrong they were.

One of the reasons for why war had never escalated was largely due to Orochimaru, one of the three legendary Sannin that Tsunade was also a part of. The man was a master at disguise and had easily broken into enemy camps and killed the commanders in the middle of the night. He was skilled with hidden blades and was also extremely good at taijutsu if a fight was ever necessary. It was also rumored among the high officials that he was also a snake charmer who used his snakes to assist with any assassinations. While to the general public, the neighboring countries had never even gotten the chance to declare war, it was an open secret among the high rank officials that certain war-eager kings had woken up in the morning with notes on their chests saying, "Those who are greedy may lose much more." The fear they experienced at how easily their palace security had been bypassed immediately turned hostile countries to those that were quite eager for good relations with the new emperor Uchiha Madara.

While Orochimaru was well known in the shadows, not many have ever met the man. For Sakura to easily admit that she had learned the art of disguise from that man, Shikamaru now understood that the woman in front of him was far from simple. It was interesting, and he was now getting eager to see what other hidden facets she had to her personality.

* * *

Their travel proceeded on smoothly and after a week, they arrived at the gates of Konoha.

The carriage arrived at a luxurious inn near the imperial palace, one that was generally dedicated to foreign emissaries. As Shikamaru escorted his travel companion, now one he genuinely considered as friend and fellow shogi player, he took her towards the room that had been reserved for her. "Tomorrow I will pick you up after breakfast to meet his imperial majesty. There will be no need for a disguise." He grinned at her. She smiled back, her beauty shining through even with the covering makeup, "Very well, I will see you tomorrow my friend." And with a flourish, saluted and bowed to him the way a fellow man would with another.

* * *

As Shikamaru walked into his clan compounds, he was greeted by his father, Shikaku who was lounging on the front steps of the main house like a cat. The man was lying on his side with one hand propping up his head while his free hand held a small cup of liquor. A bottle containing the rest of the liquor was standing next to him. His father was wearing a plain, light-grey colored casual robe with the Nara Clan symbol stitched in the back. His hair was pulled up in a spiky ponytail, which was a preferred style of the Nara males. His face had two scars on the right side of and he sported a goatee.

The head of the Nara Clan quickly analyzed his son's blank face and a mischievous grin appeared on his face, "I've never seen you this happy in a while. Did something good happen during this little retrieval mission?"

Shikamaru sighed, 'I can never hide anything from this old man' before responding, "I've brought Tsunade's apprentice. Her name is Haruno Sakura."

If possible, Shikaku's grin widened even more, "You've memorized her name? I'm impressed."

Giving his father a single "too troublesome" as a reply, Shikamaru walked into the house, intent on ignoring the scandalous look on his father's face.

Shikaku chucked at the retreating figure of his son as he took another sip of the liquor, "Maybe I should attend court tomorrow. No doubt this will be interesting."

* * *

First of all, I would like to thank everyone who has reviewed my chapters. They are great motivators and the advice you guys give me helps a lot when I write.

Thanks Giest, I forgot to mention last chapter that she totally had on makeup. But Sakura's appearance was based on Shikamaru's impression so I was kinda like, "Guys don't know what makeup is, so he probably has no clue she's wearing mascara" I corrected it this chapter.

JUCHKO: I'm a huge fan of your "Continuous Circle" series so when I saw your review, hearts came out of my eyes.

Believe me, I read every single review. And some I even read multiple times. If it wasn't for the support you guys give me, I probably wouldn't have written nearly as fast as I do now.

Also, when I was writing this, I forgot that Konoha was technically located in the Land of Fire and I was pretty vague in describing it. But now that I remembered, the country of this story is the Land of Fire, and the imperial capital is Konoha. Sorry if there is any confusion.

For those who are curious about how this story will go, I will tell you now that I'm not a fan of drama. The romance will be relatively slow (or as slow as a harem fic can be) and there truly will be no "bad guys" or "evil villains". The overall impression that I wish to make with this story would "beautiful" and "romantic". I hope you guys will enjoy this fanfic.

Best,

WhiteMint

PS: For those who are curious on the suitors that I plan for Sakura, this is what I plan to do.

Suitors: Itachi, Sasori, Deidara, Neji, Madara (so the answer is yes, sakurafan700), Shisui, Yahiko (Pein?), Gaara

Friendzoned: Kakuzu, Zetsu, Lee, Orochimaru, Jiraiya, Obito, Nagato, Kankuro, Yamato, Minato (Even though SakuraxMinato is a like guilty crack for me. Those damn time travel fanfics *cough) & all parents

Maybe?: Shikamaru, Hidan, Kisame, Naruto, Sasuke, Genma, Kakashi, Sai

If I forgot a character or if you guys want changes (ex: making Shikmaru a suitor) then feel free to tell me in a review or PM. I'm very open to what you guys want cause I love harem. I'll change my list based on what you guys want, or I'll tell you why I don't want to change it lol.


	4. The First Princess

Summary: In the imperial capital of Konoha, it was the norm for men to reign supreme while wives and concubines lived in seclusion like elegant flowers inside a locked garden. However, everything changed when one pink-haired medic entered the capital. SakuraxMulti

* * *

Chapter 4: The First Princess

* * *

Madara walked up to the golden dragon throne to start the court session. As he sat down, he noticed from the corner of his eye a certain clan head wearing the robes of an imperial official. 'Strange, why is the head of the Nara clan attending the court meeting that he generally loves to skip?' Indeed, the lazy Nara was standing near his two best friends – the heads of the Yamanaka and Akimichi clans – and was dressed in his court robes.

During the morning court sessions with the emperor, all officials wore the same robes. The cloth was a dark navy with silver leaves signifying Konoha embroidered around the edges. In order to distinguish rank, the different officials wore long beaded necklaces that are given by the Uchiha emperor. Those of the lowest rank had no necklace.

Shikaku sighed as he fiddled with his jade necklace. He was officially a second step official but he tended to skip most, if not all, court sessions. Damn these robes, always so uncomfortable. He really wanted to laze around in his casual robe but today was guaranteed to be interesting and he wouldn't miss it for the world.

"So why did you bother to come today?" one of his best friends, Inoichi Yamanaka asked. The man in question was a tall blonde who wore his long hair in a high ponytail. He had spiky bangs and storm blue eyes. The robes and jade necklace that gave Shikaku constant discomfort looked impeccable on Inoichi, who looked every inch the gentleman and scholar. One would not think that this official was a high rank interrogator and tactician.

"That's right Shikaku, we almost never see you here." A thick set man with a mane of messy red hair piped in and chuckled, "We should get some barbeque after this, to celebrate you actually coming to court for once."

As Shikaku stopped playing around with his ungodly heavy string of jade beads, he turned towards his two friends, "My son seems to have brought something interesting. I came for the show."

Before the two could ask what was so interesting in this court meeting, the Prime Minister called the court to session. All the officials attending started walking towards their positions. The imperial court was set up with the dragon throne located at the end of the hall and elevated from the rest of the floor. On both sides of the throne were long rows of small tables where each official sat at their respective positions in a polite seiza. As Shikaku knelt down at his table that was located to the right of the emperor around 5 tables down, he noticed the curious gleam in the Uchiha's eyes.

The hall became quiet and everyone looked at Madara with expectant eyes. The Uchiha emperor's face was as cold as usual when he ordered, "Send in my imperial tactician Shikamaru."

Once a servant at the door of the hall gave the order, the young man in question walked in. He stopped 5 steps before the throne before kneeling down in greetings, "This one pay his respects to your majesty."

"Shikamaru."

"Yes, your majesty" Shikamaru looked up, still kneeling on the floor.

Red eyes stared down at him, "Did you bring Tsunade?"

"I'm afraid not, your majesty."

The entire court could feel Madara's sudden spike of anger.

Shikamaru, trying to ignore the sweat that was starting to form on his head, continued speaking, "When I requested Tsunade to come to Konoha, she ignored the order and sent her apprentice here. She stated that you will understand."

His cold voice echoing in the hall, Madara commanded with impatience, "Send in that… substitute."

Once again, a figure started walking down the hall.

As Sakura proceeded to the throne with her eyes down, she noted the expressions of the officials from the corner of her eyes. Surprise, shock, anger, were the most common expressions the officials had on their face when they saw her. No doubt they did not believe a mere girl of 15 would be able to solve the epidemic that was currently plaguing Konoha.

As she approached the side of the still kneeling Shikamaru, Sakura gracefully knelt down and bowed, "This one pays her respects to your majesty." She didn't dare to look up at the emperor of Konoha that she had heard so much about.

"Lift up your head." The voice in front of her commanded.

Sakura raised her head, her emerald eyes meeting the cold ruby ones. 'So this is the famed Sharingan of the Uchiha clan.' It was her first time seeing an Uchiha, and she couldn't help but study the powerful individual in front of her. The emperor of Konoha was dressed in gold robes with black embroidery of a dragon coiling through the clouds. Messy black hair tumbled along his back that would normally make one look lazy but for him - powered with his sharp eyes - made him look feral, powerful, and in control of the world. Which, to be honest, he was not far from.

As she studied the emperor before her, he was doing the same.

Madara was livid. Did Tsunade honestly entrust the fate of Konoha onto the shoulders of this slip of a girl? Before he was about to send Shikamaru off on another hunt, this time with an _army_ , he wanted to know just what Tsunade was thinking. Either that or the alcohol had finally gotten to the blonde woman's head.

"Who are you and why did Tsunade send you here instead?"

The girl straightened her back and looked at the emperor with undaunted eyes, "Tsunade-shishou has deemed me to be her successor and has decided that I have learned everything she can teach me. She has entrusted me the task of curing the epidemic that has spread within Konoha. As for my identity, she told me to show you this-"

Sakura reached into the purse that was tied to the belt of her robes, pulling out a scroll.

At the sight of the scroll, once again, the officials in the room were shocked out of their mind. It was a rarely seen type of scroll, but completely unmistakable.

It was an imperial decree.

Madara contemplated the scroll in her hands, his anger lost. The time was about right, thinking about it now. The child that Tsunade had left with should be the same age as the young woman in front of him. He gestured towards his prime minister that was standing by his side.

"Pein, read the decree… I'm sure my officials are curious as to the contents…" This will be amusing.

As Sakura handed the scroll to the Prime Minister, she waited in silence for the pandemonium that will no doubt occur once the contents of the imperial decree was known.

Pein cleared his throat and opened the scroll.

" _This imperial decree declares that Haruno Sakura will be granted the title and privilege of First Princess of the Imperial Family in the highest rank. Those who wish to marry her may only do so at her consent. She will also be able to divorce her husband on her own free will should she ever choose to._

This is written and signed by Uchiha Madara." Pein finished, glancing at the emperor sitting leisurely on the throne.

At the words of the imperial decree that no even knew existed, all the officials looked at their emperor in absolute shock and horror. Madara smirked at their faces, it was a good lesson for his officials. He needed to keep them on their toes.

"Indeed, this king has written this decree many years ago. It's good to finally meet you, my First Princess."

The burning look on Madara's face as he locked eyes with the young pinkette made Sakura instantly on guard. She didn't recognize that look, and it made her uncomfortable. Just like the title of First Princess made her uncomfortable. Ever since her shishou had told her about the decree when she first pinned her hair, she was a mix of emotions about her future. Granted, she was glad for the freedom to choose her future partner, but she was given the burden of a title that frankly, she didn't want. The title of First Princess was given to one person, and one person only in the entire Land of Fire. Normally, emperors gave that title to close relatives or a favorite daughter. But Uchiha Madara had given it to _her_ , someone he didn't even know.

She grew up under Tsunade and wanted nothing more than to be a doctor, caring for patients no matter what their status and helping others with improving their lives. She had treated nobles before in her travels, and she had grown to dislike them and their position. The fact that she herself was a noble was a fact that she tried to ignore, shunting it to the back of her mind all these years. But now, she could no longer avoid her fate of owning the most powerful title that a single woman could possibly have. She could now no longer live under the radar.

With the title of First Princess, nobles will flock to her in the attempt to gain the prestige of marrying the First Princess of Konoha. To marry her was like marrying into the imperial family, and not just marrying any Uchiha member, they would be marrying _the_ Uchiha line. It was the equivalent of marrying Madara's daughter, since the man didn't even have one. It was an unheard of alliance with the emperor and any clan that could claim the pink haired girl would be able to skyrocket in prestige. They could even be grow to be as powerful as the Uchiha clan. And this fact was not lost among the officials within the room. Minds were reeling at the possibility as officials viewed Sakura in a new light.

Sakura shuddered as she felt the eyes staring down at her. She felt like a helpless lamb, even though she was technically as high ranked, if not even higher ranked, than most of the people in the room. If it wasn't for her dogma as a doctor, and the fact that Konoha's epidemic _needed_ her skill, she would have long since dyed her hair, hid her identity, and kiss her title of First Princess goodbye. And Tsunade knew that, which was why she sent Sakura alone to Konoha. Sakura steeled herself. It didn't matter if the nobles wanted her marriage. She had the power to reject their advances, and reject she will.

Madara looked in amusement at the girl in front of him. Most women melted in front of him, full of seductive winks and playful smiles. Their voices charming and soft, their clothes beautiful and pristine, and their hands always trying to touch, to caress him. They threw themselves at his presence, hoping above all to be able to spend a night with the youngest and most handsome emperor in this era. But this girl was different. Her eyes were respectful, but not fawning. Her words clear, not simpering. She treated him as an emperor with her politically correct manners and didn't look like she wanted to immediately jump the man. The title that he had originally given her on a whim now seemed very fitting.

"As stated in the imperial decree written by this king… You, Haruno Sakura, are a noble with the title of First Princess. As such, you will be living in the Imperial Palace during your stay here and will be granted every form of honor and respect as befitting your title. Furthermore, you have the ability to choose who you wish to marry in the future." Madara chuckled, suddenly feeling indulgent.

"If my First Princess wishes, this king is even willing to make you my imperial concubine."

Sakura nearly went into shock. She wanted to cough blood at the words he suddenly hit her with. Imperial concubine? First Princess was already bad enough! She wanted freedom, she wanted true love. And nothing, even the chance to marry the most powerful man in the world, will stop her.

It took her entire will, but she forcefully graced her face with a humble smile and chose her words carefully. She was treading on thin ice after all.

"Your majesty, the position of imperial concubine is one that is very precious and sought after. This lowly servant does not deserve the responsibility."

And she bowed once again at Madara.

* * *

*Note: "Pinning the hair" is a saying that I've read in other Chinese novels. It generally means that they are now "woman" instead of "girl" and are ready to be wed. I'm guessing it's once they get their period.

* * *

Hahaha! Is it me or is the room a little hot now from the tension?

I hope you guys like this chapter! And remember, your reviews fill me with joy (and make me type faster tbh) so I hope to hear more from my growing audience :]

Also, next up (maybe not next chapter but the one after) will introduce Itachi ;)

Also, in response to my reviewers:

Phelin: Minato is a dad, with a son the same age as Sakura, so as much as I wish it, I don't think he'll be trying to woo over our dear Sakura in this story.

Angelofdestiny16: Ufufufufu… The final pairing will be a mystery.

Lady Ridger: Who's C? I stopped reading Naruto after the Akatsuki arc.

* * *

Suitors: Itachi, Sasori, Deidara, Neji, Madara, Shisui, Pein, Gaara, Shikamaru, Sai

Friendzoned: Haku, Kisame, Naruto, Sasuke, Kakuzu, Zetsu, Lee, Orochimaru, Jiraiya, Obito, Nagato, Kankuro, Yamato, Minato (Even though this SakuraxMinato is a like guilty crack for me. Those damn time travel fanfics *cough) & all parents

Maybe?: Hidan, Genma, Kakashi, Kabuto, Kimimaru

Once again, if I forgot a character or if you guys want changes, feel free to tell me in a review or PM. I'm very open to what you guys want cause I love harem. I'll change my list based on what you guys want, or I'll tell you why I don't want to change it lol.


	5. The Kiss

Summary: In the imperial capital of Konoha, it was the norm for men to reign supreme while wives and concubines lived in seclusion like elegant flowers inside a locked garden. However, everything changed when one pink-haired medic entered the capital. SakuraxMulti

* * *

Chapter 5: The Kiss

* * *

Her words were humble and sweet. However, a rejection was a rejection.

Dead silence permeated the audience chamber. Every person within the room was flabbergasted. The position of imperial concubine to Uchiha Madara was one of the most sought after positions every woman in the world dreamed about. The Uchiha who ruled the Land of Fire was one of the most powerful individuals in the world, and was currently _single_. All previous rulers living within the imperial walls of Konoha had dozens, if not hundreds, of concubines. However, not a single woman graced his imperial harem.

When Madara gained his crown, his main goal was to fix the wretched government that his father had left behind. For him, a woman was just a waste of time and money, both of which were things he desperately needed. After a year of constant complaints from his officials about how he needed an heir, how he was still single, how marriage will help with foreign alliances, he finally shut them up with his first imperial decree: the heir of Uchiha Madara and the next emperor of the Land of Fire will be chosen by him based on ability from any member within the Uchiha family and did not necessarily need to be his own son.

The plan was ingenious. Before the decree, the Uchiha clan was split between those who supported Madara, and those who contemplated killing the young man in the hopes of stealing the throne. The common people should be fine as long as an Uchiha had the throne, but to them, _they_ wanted to be the Uchiha sitting on that dragon throne. Once they realized that there was no need for bloodshed in order to obtain the throne, the Uchiha clan members did everything possible to increase chances of having _their_ son groomed for future rule. The ranks within the officials swarmed with Uchiha's, all eager to please the young king. And pleased he was, for Madara now had the entire clan with unquestioned loyalty. To further goad his loyal dogs along, he even decided to grace a few of the clan members with the title of Prince, bringing in his end of the bargain. For now it was known that those who were elevated to the prince status were also those who were in the running for the throne.

With this imperial decree, he had managed to stop his court officials from bothering him _too much_ on marriage. However, it did little to persuade all noble women from hoping to wed the emperor. The imperial wife was the most powerful position any woman could possibly obtain in her life and the position of an imperial concubine was not that much lower. If a woman could marry the emperor, they would not lack for money for the rest of their lives and would live in the lap of luxury.

Women of nobility were generally pawns ready to be married between families. Marriage was but a trade, where heads of the households swapped their daughters like bargaining chips in order to seal alliances once the daughter could pin her hair. But surprisingly enough, the number of unwed and available daughters residing in Konoha was gradually increasing. The nobility had finally paused in their political matchmaking between the families. All for the sake of hoping to marry their daughters to a certain _single_ emperor. They did everything possible for their daughters to draw the man's eyes, and the daughters were completely willing to try and seduce the young king. He was a challenge.

The man was elusive, and women brought it upon themselves to try and take him.

Throughout his reign, Madara had faced dozens of attempts at his life, whether it is through poison or an assassin's blade. The irony was, he had experienced hundreds of more attempts on his body. Whenever he visited a nobleman's house, he was always introduced to daughters who _graciously_ served him tea… Tea laced with aphrodisiacs.

Madara was forced to constantly bring antidotes.

Whenever he ate at formal dinner parties, he was served the strongest wine possible (and sometimes also laced with aphrodisiacs as a bonus) in the hopes of getting drunk and making a "mistake" with a daughter.

His tolerance was now so high that he could probably give Tsunade a run for her money.

From throwing out women who "happened to be in his bed" to dismissing offers for trade alliances that included a daughter in the mix, Madara kept a tight lock on the imperial harem doors.

And the minute he offers a marriage – heavens, his officials had started to wonder if he was interested in men – Sakura Haruno _rejects_ it.

And quite quickly too.

As Madara looked at the pink haired maiden, she was muttering some vague and polite words in her attempt to leave. She needed to see the patients and oh, maybe it was deadly she should probably hurry along. If his majesty could let her go that would be great.

Madara burst out laughing, making Sakura stop with her lame attempts to leave the room alive after her awkward rejection to the _emperor_ , of all people.

The officials were too numb to be shocked any more, even though they had never seen the king let out more than a small chuckle let alone the full blown laugh he was giving at the moment. Sakura hoped his mirth meant that her head would still be on her shoulders in the future.

Madara got up and started walking down the steps towards Sakura. He bent down and raised her chin with his fingers.

"Sakura-hime," he breathed out, "You have every right to reject my marriage offer due to the imperial decree."

He leaned forward, his face inches away from hers, "But I have every right to pursue you."

And he promptly closed the distance and kissed her. His lips scorching with passion on her still ones. The woman posed a challenge, and he looked forward to the chase.

Before Sakura could react to the shock of the heated kiss, her _first_ kiss too, he pulled away from her lips and stared at the dazed medic in front of him.

"And whatever I desire to obtain… _I will get_."

* * *

I hope everyone got nosebleeds, like I did when I wrote this.

It's a short chapter, but I figured to end it on the kiss so that you guys would love me and hate me.

If you guys noticed, Madara starts saying "I" instead of "this king", which was totally on purpose. I'll explain it next chapter, which I might be able to post later tonight. But you guys won't be seeing Madara for a while. I'll be introducing new characters~

Finally, I hope you guys enjoyed reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Love,

WhiteMint

* * *

JUCHKO: I'm equally biased against Sasuke. I've only been able to tolerate him in harem fanfics and even though there are so many SakuraxSasuke fanfics that look super interesting, the pairing just pulls me away. Also, I won't be using eunuchs in this story, so Haku will just be a very girly looking man.

For those who explained who C was, thank you~ I love you all!

* * *

Suitors: Itachi, Sasori, Deidara, Neji, Madara, Shisui, Pein, Gaara, Shikamaru, Sai

Friendzoned: Haku, Kisame, Naruto, Sasuke (I'm not a fan... I'm sorry for those who want him), Kakuzu, Zetsu, Lee, Orochimaru, Jiraiya, Obito, Nagato, Kankuro, Yamato, Hidan, Genma, Minato & all parents

Maybe?: Kakashi, Kabuto, Kimimaru, C (damn, he's hot)


	6. The Princes

Summary: In the imperial capital of Konoha, it was the norm for men to reign supreme while wives and concubines lived in seclusion like elegant flowers inside a locked garden. However, everything changed when one pink-haired medic entered the capital. SakuraxMulti

* * *

Chapter 6: The Princes

* * *

Sakura glanced around at her new humble abode – though humble was the last thing this place was – and tried to convince herself to stay. Every inch of the place screamed of luxury and she felt woefully out of place. The furniture in the living room was of the finest mahogany and exquisitely carved with trailing vines and peach blossoms. Scroll paintings hung the wall depicting beautiful mountains and rivers and when she saw the signature of the artist – the grandmaster painter of Konoha – she was too scared to even get close to the paintings. Each painting was probably more valuable than her little life, she thought, once again purposely forgetting her title of First Princess. As she delicately walked around the living room, trying to not get close to the ceramic vases and jade decorations, she decided to visit the other rooms in hopes of a more humble location. The bead curtains separating each room were made of fine crystals that sparkled in the sunlight peaking in from her windows. She parted the curtain gently, god forbid if she break a crystal, and glanced at what she presumed was her bedroom.

The sheets on the bed were a cream silk with large gold hydrangeas embroidered throughout. The room smelled of lavender, and she saw the expensive incense burning in the room. She quickly snuffed out the incense stick – that was money burning right there – and continued her examination of the large bedroom. A peek behind the large folding screen far from the bed showed a large wooden bath tub. Sakura sighed in appreciation. After all, she loved baths. This tub will definitely see much use from her.

Sakura finally walked out of her room and watched as servants were bringing in all her luggage from the inn. She turned her head to the maid that was waiting politely at the entrance of her new home, her new personal maid. The young lady looked like Sakura's age and had large, brown doe-like eyes with matching brown hair that was tied in two buns on top of her head. The maid was dressed in pink servant's robes with maroon silk bordering the edges.

Once the servants had finished dropping off her luggage, Sakura walked up to the maid and tilted her head in greetings, "My name is Haruno Sakura. It's a pleasure to meet you."

The maid was flustered at being addressed so politely, and bowed at her new master, "Greetings to Sakura-hime. This servant's name is Tenten."

Sakura frowned, "No, you can't do that."

Tenten was shocked and confused. What did she do wrong?

"You are not allowed to call me hime. I want you to talk to me casually."

"This servant doesn't dare to!" Tenten bowed.

Sakura contemplated their positions. That damn title.

"Well, I order you to."

As Tenten stood shocked at the orders, Sakura's eyes softened, "Before I came here, I was only a simple doctor. I'm not used to this type treatment from all the servants, and I honestly don't like it. It would be great if you could dispense with all the formalities."

Sakura winked at the girl mischievously, "If it makes you feel better, you can treat me as expected of propriety in front of others. But when we're alone, I'd rather you just treat me normally."

Tenten's heart was touched, no noble ever acted like the lady in front of her, "Then uh…"

"You can call me Sakura. May I call you Tenten?"

…

Shikamaru walked into Sakura's courtyard to an interesting sight. Sakura was at the moment sitting on a table in the front courtyard with a servant while laughing had chatting merrily. The young pinkette had a strange way with befriending people quickly and he was no exception to her spell. As he walked closer to the chatting pair, his thoughts went back on the scene during the court session that the lazy Nara uncomfortably had front row seats on.

When the king had kissed her, he was addressing himself as "I" instead of "this king". While Sakura might not have noticed, the change did not escape Shikamaru. He could tell that the emperor was dead serious when he said it.

Back when Madara first gave the offer of imperial concubine, he treated that title with little value and seemed to only do so at his own amusement. Just like how he had thrown her the First Princess title when she was five.

But he drastically changed after she rejected him. From the way he acted and the way he talked, Shikamaru knew that it was no longer the emperor of Konoha speaking, but Uchiha Madara himself. He wasn't sure how she did it, but he worried for his new friend, for she seemed unaware of the fact that she had caught the attentions of the powerful man.

When the two noticed Shikamaru walking towards them, Tenten immediately recognized the court robes of imperial officials and tried to stand and bow but Sakura grabbed her hand and stopped her.

"Tenten, it's fine. It's just Shikamaru, my friend."

Shikamaru joined the two at the table and waved the maid to sit down, "Don't mind me. Curtesy is too troublesome anyways."

When Tenten hesitantly sat back down, Sakura addressed her friend's sudden appearance, "Well then, my tactician friend, are you here to show me my first patient?"

Shikamaru nodded, unsurprised at her deduction, "The most critical patient you need to see is the Imperial Prince, Uchiha Itachi."

…

When Sakura reached the wing where the prince lived in, the first thing she noticed was a young man pacing around the door. The man looked to be around five years older than her, and looked similar to the emperor with short, messy, black hair and red agitated eyes. He wore black robes with silver linings, the Uchiha clan symbol stitched on his chest, and dangling from his belt was a golden dragon medallion, signifying his status as a prince.

As soon as he noticed Sakura walking in with Tenten behind her carrying Sakura's medicine chest, he ran up to the young doctor and asked, "Are you a doctor here to treat my cousin?"

Sakura was surprised, to say the least. She had assumed that the prince in front of her would have looked at her age and gender and assume she wasn't fit to cure the sick prince. But the man in front of her didn't act that way at all. His red eyes shone with agitation and his countenance was filled with nothing but worry. Her heart warmed at his brashness.

"Yes," she replied, "I am here to treat his imperial highness Uchiha Itachi. My name is Haruno Sakura."

The introduction shocked the man back into some resemblance of courtesy as he stepped back to a polite distance from Sakura and bowed his head in greeting, "I'm Uchiha Shisui, an imperial prince. I'll take you to my cousin, Uchiha Itachi." And Shisui lead them to the bedroom inside.

Sakura frowned at the hot and humid air inside the stuffy bedroom. Medicinal incense burned inside the room and made the air smoky.

"Open the window, he needs fresh air." Sakura ordered.

Before Tenten could even get to the windows, Shisui had already opened them.

'Amazing speed' Sakura couldn't help but think. When the anxious prince asked if she needed anything else, Sakura shook her head and turned back to her patient.

Uchiha Itachi was lying on the bed in a feverish sleep. He had long, straight black hair and the white skin typical of all the Uchiha's Sakura had seen was yellow and wane.

Sakura held the man's wrist as she measured his erratic heartbeat. After checking all his vitals, she placed her hand, glowing green with chakra, on his chest.

"Chakra?" Shisui grabbed her wrist and pulled her hand away, his eyes glaring at Sakura.

She looked at the suddenly agitated prince and calmly answered his sudden question, "I know that almost all people use chakra for martial arts in order to strengthen their body, and some-" Sakura looked knowingly at Shisui's red eyes, "-can use chakra in… special ways due to their bloodline. While chakra is known for its use for fighting, Tsunade-shishou has taught me how to use chakra for healing and medicinal purposes. Do not worry your highness, I am merely using my chakra to probe for what ailment is plaguing the prince."

Shisui looked at her in surprise. He had never heard of chakra being used for healing, but the way she stated so did not seem fake. He hesitated with indecision until his worry outweighed his suspicions. He'll trust her, for now.

"Very well… You may continue. But if I see my cousin look worse, I will stop you immediately."

Sakura nodded, not doubting his words, and placed her released hand back onto her patient.

…

Uchiha Itachi stirred awake, feeling better for the first time in weeks. His breathing was clear and he could feel a cooling sensation on his chest. When he opened his eyes, he noticed that his clothes were different from the ones he fell asleep in and his body was clean and smelled of herbs. A medicinal compress was sitting on his chest and another that was originally covering his eyes fell off when he was lifting himself up.

"You should still rest, your highness." A clear voice suddenly rang in the room.

Itachi looked up and saw a young woman sitting in his room, grinding herbs with a pestle. She had long pink hair and green eyes, but he couldn't see much else aside from that in the room dimly lit with a couple of candles.

"Hn" Itachi replied, and then pointed at his clothes and giving her a glare.

Sakura was unruffled by his attitude, "Good evening, your highness. I am Haruno Sakura, a doctor who is currently treating your illness. If it's about your current state of attire, I can assure you that I did not touch you. After diagnosing your illness, I had the help of his highness Uchiha Shisui, your cousin, in giving you a medicinal bath."

She resumed grinding her herbs, "I told his highness to get some rest, which he only agreed to when he noticed your improvement. My servant has gone to get some more herbs so we are currently alone at the moment."

Sakura then gave the Uchiha a contemplative look and continued talking, "Which is for the best, since I believe that you have kept a secret of the current condition of your eyes."

* * *

For those who are curious on why Sakura is so stingy of a person, remember this: she traveled with Tsunade for most of her life and no doubt Tsunade gambled away most of the money they ever made. She also hate nobles in general so she generally distained from the luxuries that most nobles live in. I'm currently writing a side-story to this series called A Noble in Secret and if you guys don't mind the pairing (SakuraxC), it'll show a nice background on Sakura's childhood.

Also, in this story I will use chakra, but there will be no jutsu's and stuff like that. Chakra is purely for body strengthening and taijutsu stuff.

I hope you guys enjoyed the introduction of Itachi and Shisui!

Cheers,

WhiteMint

* * *

Suitors: Itachi, Sasori, Deidara, Neji, Madara, Pein, Gaara, Shikamaru, Sai, C

Friendzoned: Haku, Kisame, Sasuke (I'm not a fan... I'm sorry for those who want him), Kakuzu, Zetsu, Lee, Orochimaru, Jiraiya, Obito, Nagato, Kankuro, Yamato, Hidan, Genma, Minato & all parents

Maybe?: Kakashi, Kabuto, Kimimaru, Shisui, Naruto (eehhhhh)

Need to research: Toneri, Yagura, Utakata


	7. The Sharingan

Summary: In the imperial capital of Konoha, it was the norm for men to reign supreme while wives and concubines lived in seclusion like elegant flowers inside a locked garden. However, everything changed when one pink-haired medic entered the capital. SakuraxMulti

* * *

Chapter 7: The Sharingan

* * *

Itachi's eyes widened, his momentary lapse of surprise confirming everything Sakura had guessed. Before he could open his mouth, Sakura beat him to the chase.

"Let me take a stab of your situation… Tsunade-shishou has often told me, 'People always lie, so you must look underneath the underneath.' And with your case, I can see you are already thinking of excuses.

You can fool your family, but you can't fool me. Whatever you say, your body states otherwise. And as a doctor, I can read what your body is saying quite well."

His eyes narrowed as he leaned back on his pillows, his face deceptively blank. He doubted she knew everything, so he decided to listen to her hypothesis.

Sakura took his silence as a cue to continue speaking, and so she did.

"There are two types of people in this world: those that can utilize chakra – or internal chi – and those who cannot. Those who are able to, generally use it for martial arts. But most that use chakra cannot do much with it except for strengthening their bodies to be as strong as steel, or allowing them to be light and flexible that every jump seems like flight.

Over the ages of chakra use, various mutations among the people have caused the formation of kekkei genkai, also known as the bloodline limit. These mutations have allowed chakra wielders the ability to use their chakra in many different ways and through careful family breeding, most - if not all - major clans in this world are those with kekkei genkai. One of the best examples is your clan, the Uchiha clan.

While not much is known about the sharingan – your family keeps an excellent lock on its secrets – what is known is that that the sharingan utilizes a special chakra in your eyes to be able to see what others cannot.

Which brings me to the next point. Although using the sharingan is harmful to your eyes, it is not detrimental to the point of causing blindness. If an Uchiha uses their sharingan all day, one night of rest will heal all harm…

But in your case, you've used your sharingan to the point of almost causing yourself blindness.

Which then led to my next conclusion: you've been keeping your sharingan on even in your sleep.

So why would the imperial prince need to keep his kekkei genkai open at all times? The answer is simple. You are experiencing assassination attempts on a near constant basis. This has caused you to experience little to no sleep each night, and the stress lines under your eyes confirm it.

But no one knows of this. Otherwise, how would the emperor allow the imperial prince to be alone in this room with just a simple doctor? No, if people knew you were undergoing repeat assassination attempts, this room would be filled to the brim with guards.

So finally, it leads to my last assumption: you haven't told anyone about it.

This gave me a lot of thought. After all, I initially saw no reason for you to hide that you're experiencing assassination attempts. But then it occurred to me about your position, and the position of your cousin."

With that, Itachi sat up again, his sharingan flaring up. Sakura smartly avoided his eyes as she continued.

"Now stop that. I'm not going to tell anyone, but it seems I've hit the mark?

Excellent, I'll continue with my conclusions.

You never told anyone about the attempts on your life because of _who_ is trying to kill you. Since you are only one of the _two_ imperial princes. The answer become quite obvious: it is Uchiha Shisui's family that wishes to kill you.

Back when you were dying, I saw how much your cousin cared for you. When he thought I was about to kill you, his bloodlust was painfully obvious. There was no doubt on my mind that he was not the one who wanted your life. In fact, he treasures you like he would a brother, even though the two of you are cousins quite far from each other in the family tree.

If I can tell your cousin doesn't want your life, I'm sure you know that for a fact. Since your cousin is oblivious that his own family wishes you dead, you didn't want to bring the subject up. You were worried that if everything become known, your cousin might lose his title of imperial prince, or maybe even his life.

Your uncle, his majesty, reigns this country in a path of blood to weed out all corruption. I doubt that a few branch members of his own family will be spared.

You value your cousin as much as he values you, so you've been tolerating the assassination attempts in quiet, to the point of getting little to no sleep and causing your eyes to become almost blind."

Sakura reached for her cup of tea that was now cold, she wanted to wet her now dry throat caused by all the talking.

During that moment of silence, Itachi spoke up, "You will not tell anyone of this. Or I will kill you."

Sakura gave him a little smirk, "I am merely a doctor, your highness. No one will know. Patient confidentiality is ingrained in me. I only want to assure you that I am your ally. You have been put under my care, and I do not let my patients die so easily, assassination attempts or not.

By destroying your sleep, you have weakened your body, making you the one most likely to die of all patients that have caught the disease that has spread throughout Konoha. The irony is laughable. By protecting your life from assassins, you have left yourself open to death by illness. I have fixed the disease in you, but you still need rest."

When she saw that Itachi still refused to relax, she decided to play her last trump card with a sigh.

"You do not know this, but my presence here is probably the safest you can ever be. I was given the title of First Imperial Princess by the emperor himself back when I was five. I have finally come to Konoha to cure this epidemic and you are my first patient. No doubt by now that word of this fact has spread and everyone, including your cousin's family, knows of this.

I don't plan on sleeping tonight. I need to make medicine for the others who have caught this disease. By staying in your room, and awake at that, no one will dare to assassinate you since I will no doubt be a casualty. My excuse will be that you require careful monitoring in case the disease flares up again. You were close to death already, and I don't plan to let you get any closer."

Sakura stood up and walked towards Itachi's bed. She reached up with a hand glowing faintly of chakra.

"Your highness, you had no choice on the matter when I saved your life from disease. Will you trust me now with your life? I can give you a deep dreamless sleep with my healing chakra."

Itachi looked at the young woman standing fearlessly near him. The number of people who swore to protect him with their lives numbered in the hundreds, but the number of those he truly trusted could be counted with one hand. The woman in front of him knew little to nothing about him and yet had been correct in every single assumption that she had made. She had already saved his life from the disease and yet she asked him to trust her again with his life.

The woman was an enigma. She looked so young - similar to his brother's age - and yet her eyes were deep and unfathomable emerald pools that were painfully pure. She had no ill intentions at all. So Itachi decided to take the leap of faith.

He settled himself back down onto the bed and gave her a nod as his red eyes bled away into charcoal that was graying due to the blindness that was seeping into his eyes. As he closed his eyes, he felt her small hand resting on his forehead. As the chakra seeped in, Itachi felt more relaxed than he did in years.

…

When Itachi woke up at dawn the following day, he noted that the young doctor had kept true to her word and was still sitting on the table with packets of medicine. He looked around the room and her gentle and amused voice rang out, "Good morning, your highness. We are alone."

His eyes met hers as he replied, his voice gravely from sleep, "Good morning Sakura-hime."

She frowned at the title but decided to let it drop. They had much more important things to discuss.

"Well then, your highness. We should start planning on what to do with your current situation, and how to cure your eyes without anyone knowing."

…

For the first time in weeks, Itachi walked out of his wing in the palace. He felt unbelievably refreshed since it had been nearly a year since he last slept so well and the weather outside seemed almost to be celebrating, with the perfect temperature and clear skies.

He had taken a bath with the herb satchel that Sakura had told him to soak in with and he smelled like mint and rainwater. Itachi rather liked the smell, and he noted to himself to ask the pink-haired doctor to give him more.

As he walked out of the gates of his compound, he saw the servant that was standing by the door.

"Your highness, Uchiha-sama!" The servant immediately knelt to his knees upon seeing the prince. The servant was shocked out of his mind at being able to see his highness looking so well already.

When the young doctor had left the prince's wing an hour earlier, she had told the servant to fetch hot water for the prince to bathe in. When the servant did so, he had assumed that the doctor was still taking care of the prince. When he finished the bath preparations, he did not know that the doctor had long since left and the prince was well enough to the point of taking care of himself.

Looking at the prince now, he noted that his highness no longer had that sick pallor on his skin and looked as healthy as ever. The prince was dressed in silver-grey robes that shined in the sunlight. White embroidery of clouds decorated the edges of his robes and the Uchiha clan symbol stitched as always on his chest. Hanging from the navy belt around his waist was the golden dragon medallion symbolizing his status as prince. Itachi's long straight hair was tied in a low ponytail behind his head, and his bangs fluttered along with the light breeze, drying in the sun. Itachi looked so well that the servant nearly cried of happiness. The servant had served the young prince for years, and was worried to death when the prince became ill. The doctor was a god-send, and the servant promised himself to offer a stick of incense to thank the gods for her arrival.

As Itachi walked through the palace, the news of his current state of health traveled faster than he did. When nobles and servants alike saw the prince, all doubt in Sakura's abilities as a doctor were erased. After all, no physician was able to cure the prince and many had written him off as dead. Seeing him walk casually the way he did now proved just how amazing the young girl was.

Once Itachi neared the gates of the imperial palace, he could hear a loud yell of "Itachi!" before he quickly ducked to the right. The person who called Itachi's name quickly stopped his momentum after being unable to tackle hug his previously sick cousin.

"Shisui, calm yourself. You're a prince, act like it for once." Itachi greeted his cousin.

Shisui clutched his chest as if in heartbreak as he pretended to cry, "But my dearest cousin, I was so worried about you. After all, if you died, no one else will be in the running for emperor! God forbid I get the crown. Konoha will be in ruins if that ever happened."

Itachi gave a small smirk at his cousin's antics, knowing full well how much his cousin was genuinely worried about him as Shisui tried to play it off as a joke. He walked towards the empty carriage waiting for him as he let Shisui accompany him while talking about the newest court gossip.

"Did you know that the Nara clan head actually went to the court session yesterday? Everyone thought that the apocalypse would happen!" While Shisui chatted on about the series of events that occurred in the court session, his words confirmed what Sakura had told him last night about her position in court. Once Shisui mentioned the _kiss_ , which was currently the hottest topic Konoha has ever had in _years_. Itachi nearly laughed out loud but years of training kept him from doing so.

'This will be even more interesting than I thought.' Itachi contemplated as the carriage neared the gates of the Uchiha compound.

When the two princes got off the carriage, Shisui finally stopped giving Itachi the latest court gossip, "So, my little cousin, are you going to visit your family?"

Itachi gave a "Hn" in reply as the two walked towards the wing where his family lived in.

When Itachi neared the door, it suddenly slammed open.

"Itachi!" It was his younger brother, Uchiha Sasuke, and his eyes the size of saucers. Before Itachi could greet his brother, Sasuke turned his head around and yelled, "Mom! Dad! Itachi's here."

Itachi walked into the house and calmly took off his shoes at the door. As he put on his indoor slippers, his parents came to view. His mother's face was pale as she hurried over to his side. Itachi gave her a gentle hug, "Mother."

His father, Uchiha Fugaku, walked towards them in a much more sedate pace, but the tightening around his jaw showed that he had been equally worried about his eldest son. In order to prevent the disease from spreading, Madara had ordered Itachi to be kept in isolation and no one, aside from Shisui – who ignored the orders – and doctors, were allowed to visit him. Now that Itachi was finally better, his family was finally able to see him after weeks of worry.

"Itachi, you're here just in time for breakfast. Please feel free to join us, Shisui." Itachi and Sasuke's mother, Uchiha Mikoto, said with a smile.

The family walked to the dining room where the table was filled with various breakfast dishes and dim sum. Mikoto hurried to the kitchen to get two extra sets of utensils for Itachi and Shisui as the male members sat down in their seats.

When everyone sat down and started eating, Fugaku spoke up to his eldest son.

"Itachi, so was it Haruno Sakura who managed to completely cure you?"

"Yes, father" Itachi replied as he helped himself to another serving of rice. While Itachi normally didn't eat much, weeks of being sick and eating nothing but medicine made him ravished.

When Fugaku nodded in understanding, he spoke about his opinions of the pinkette, "I saw the young lady during yesterday's court session. My initial impression of her would be that she was too young and immature to be able to handle the epidemic, but looking at how well you are now, it seems my impressions were wrong."

Fugaku was a man who rarely made mistakes, but when he did, he learned quickly from his lessons. This trait and cunning had allowed him to rise in ranks and become an imperial official of the first step while most other clan heads were only of the second step.

"You never did tell us much about the new princess, dear husband." Mikoto stated gently, "What is this Haruno Sakura like?"

"She is a courageous one," Fugaku admitted, "When the emperor offered her the position of imperial concubine, she actually rejected it."

"Oh my," Mikoto covered her mouth in shock. As Fugaku took a drink of tea, he continued, "I had a clear view of what happened. The First Princess is allowed to marry whomever she chooses because of an imperial decree that Madara himself had penned years ago. Because of that, even the emperor cannot force her to marry anyone."

Itachi set down his bowl, and added his input, "Haruno Sakura has the highest pedigree in this city due to her title as First Princess. She also has excellent chakra control and used her chakra to heal me."

That little fact was a surprise to everyone in the room except Shisui, who had seen it happen. Fugaku looked at his son thoughtfully, "Title notwithstanding, I'm surprised that she can use chakra to heal. It's been known to be possible theoretically but no one has ever been able to do so because of the control that is required. If she can give birth to those with a kekkei genkai, the children will be powerful, to say the least."

"Yes," Itachi replied, "Which brings to my next point."

He then looked at everyone in the room.

"I plan to court Haruno Sakura."

* * *

Now that's two in the running for her heart! (or 3, if you include C. or 4 if you include Shikamaru but he just doesn't know it yet)

Also, in case you're curious on how for some people I describe them in great detail but for others, it's just a name, I'll tell you how I think about it. For this case, Itachi is the one who sees his family when he comes home. Aside from recognizing who they are, he has no need to look at details such as clothes and stuff. When the time comes when Sakura meets the family (yes, it will happen), that's when the parents get seen in detail. After all, it is a third party who will be meeting them for the first time. This will allow me to emphasize which meetings are more important than others (ex: Shikamaru's first meeting with Sakura). So I hope you guys will understand what I'm trying to get at.

So next week my family is going on vacation for Thanksgiving. I won't be posting for like a good 10-15 days starting this weekend cause we'll be camping in a national park with no wifi. I'll try to get out one more chapter before this Friday but no promises. This is just to tell you guys in case you guys freak out.

Cheers,

WhiteMint

* * *

Suitors: Itachi, Sasori, Deidara, Neji, Madara, Pein, Gaara, Shikamaru, Sai, C

Friendzoned: Haku, Kisame, Sasuke, Kakuzu, Zetsu, Lee, Orochimaru, Jiraiya, Obito, Nagato, Kankuro, Yamato, Hidan, Genma, Minato & all parents

Maybe?: Kakashi, Kabuto, Kimimaru, Shisui

Naruto: I can't seem to keep anyone happy with him. I either get requests for him to be a suitor or those who want him to be just a friend. So I'm going to step my foot down on this one. Naruto will fall in love with her at first sight, but ultimately be like a brother for her. This will be just like the manga. I'll even throw in some cute scenes of the two if it makes you guys happy. I'm also contemplating removing Sai from the list of suitors because I like the idea of putting a Team 7 in this story where they're all like family.

Need to research: Toneri, Yagura, Utakata


	8. The Truth

Summary: In the imperial capital of Konoha, it was the norm for men to reign supreme while wives and concubines lived in seclusion like elegant flowers inside a locked garden. However, everything changed when one pink-haired medic entered the capital. SakuraxMulti

* * *

Chapter 8: The Truth

* * *

His family took the news a lot better than he had hoped. With his careful words about her chakra skills along with his father's own positive opinion about the First Princess, his family seemed relatively eager for their eldest son to court the princess.

His mother was looking as if she was mentally planning the wedding already.

His father gave a nod of approval.

Shisui looked scandalized, as if he caught the gossip of the century.

And Sasuke was still choking on his food, though everyone was ignoring him.

One day Sasuke will learn the art of subtlety, Itachi mentally prayed.

He still remembered her words, spoken in a humorous tone before she left.

" _Itachi-san, there will definitely be rumors if you agree with this plan."_

" _Better to have rumors of me courting you than rumors of people trying to assassinate me."_

" _True… Well, we should think of a method for you to send me the message. How about flowers, if all goes to plan. And if not…"_

" _A piece of jade, if it doesn't work? It can symbolize my appreciation for your healing."_

" _Nonsense, I have no need for jade baubles. How about peaches? The finest peaches your highness can find. I've been craving some peaches recently."_

" _It's the wrong season."_

" _You're the imperial prince Uchiha Itachi. I'm sure you'll find a way."_

Guess he didn't need to go hunt for peaches.

…

Kakuzu never thought he'd see the day come, but it did.

He stared at the treasures that had once graced the imperial vaults. His babies were back, and he thought he had lost them forever.

It had only been a week ago when Madara had ordered him to decorate the damn wing of a palace that was originally empty and fill it with treasures. That job was probably the hardest thing Kakuzu ever had to do, and he felt like he had ripped his heart out doing it.

Women were nothing but money black holes, they were Kakuzu's antithesis. Women did nothing but spend money for all their silk, jewelries, and makeup. He knew that one day Madara would allow a woman to live in the imperial palace, and he dreaded it with every passing year. When he first saw the First Princess in that fated court session, he could feel his heart pound in fear. And when Madara kissed the girl, he knew his fate was sealed.

He spent days nursing his broken heart, but he mentally replaced it with a new one.

'I'm the imperial treasurer. It's my job to get more money for the emperor, and I will get back the money lost eventually.'

After finally coming to terms with this thought, he was greeted with a happy surprise.

Servants were bringing in boxes and boxes of items. Items that he originally was forced to use in decorating the First Princess's new quarters.

Still stunned while looking at his precious treasures, a maid walked up to him with a letter.

"A message from Sakura-hime," she stated, giving him the envelope.

He opened the letter and read the contents.

 _To the imperial treasurer,_

 _I apologize for the late message but it had taken me a week to find out that you were the one responsible for the items that graced my new living quarters. I must admit that most the items are too precious for my taste and I prefer my abode to be a simpler one. I have sent back most of the decorations, deeming them too fragile or too precious to be kept safely in my keeping. I'm sure you will agree with me._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Haruno Sakura_

 _PS: If the emperor wishes to send me more gifts, talk to me first before sending it over. It will be just a waste of time and effort for the servants if I end up sending gifts right back to you._

After reading the letter, Kakuzu decided that it was a shame money was his soulmate. But the First Princess might just be second in his heart. Hopefully Madara will marry the girl. She'd be Kakuzu's favorite choice for empress.

…

Sakura gave a happy hum as she walked back to her quarters. The past week had been hell as she travelled from patient to patient in need of her care. She had also instructed the physicians on how to care for the disease and what prescription was needed for those who had caught it. Luckily for her, most of the people who had caught the disease were not in dire straits and were simply bedridden. For those people, the physicians were able to handle them with the prescription Sakura gave them. There were only a few who were as bad as the Uchiha prince had been, and Sakura herself had to treat them.

After a week of non-stop work, Sakura finally had time to herself. She wanted some peace and quiet when she finally entered her redecorated living quarters.

Pausing to look around her living room, she gave herself a small nod in appreciation. Before she had left this morning to go visit her last patient, she had given Tenten a list of items she wanted to be sent back along with a letter for Tenten to pass on to the imperial treasurer. She also gave the maid a vague description of how she wanted her abode to be decorated and Tenten did not disappoint. In fact, Sakura was impressed with the speed that Tenten had performed everything.

The fine crystal beads that originally graced the door were replaced with colorful glass ones. They weren't the cheapest, but the price was a third of the original crystal ones. The tables that once had beautiful jade carvings on top of gold stands were now replaced with ceramic vases that tastefully matched the color of the furniture. Fresh lilies were put inside the vases, giving a room a pleasant scent and lovely ambiance. The scroll paintings Sakura had kept, since she quite liked how they look. But aside from those, most of the expensive, beautiful, and relatively useless treasures had been removed.

Sakura walked to her bedroom and grabbed the guqin that was hanging on her wall. The instrument was priceless to Sakura, for it was a memento from her mother.

When Sakura had turned three years old, her mother had used most of her savings to have this instrument made for her. The dark wood of the instrument was expensive fir and on the bottom of the instrument had her name carved in beautiful calligraphy and painted in with gold ink. Along the sides of the quqin were cherry blossoms made of pink jade embedded into the wood where the light petals contrasted beautifully with the dark wood.

Most women learned playing flutes made of jade due to their delicate and graceful nature of the instrument in both image and sound. But her mother had ordered for Sakura to be given an instrument was a favorite of scholars. Beautiful and wise, was what her mother had wanted Sakura to grow up to be, and Sakura tried her best to fulfill the wishes of her late mother.

Once Sakura had her beloved instrument, she started walking to the back yard. It was her favorite place in the entire palace, and it never failed to relax the young girl. Before she came to Konoha, Sakura often played her guqin in the small courtyard that only could fit a couple of trees along with a stone table. But with living in the palace, the size of the yard given to her was immense.

On one side, pebbled paths twisted among flowering trees and bushes to allow for one to view the splendor of the plants. Where the paths occasionally intersected, there were stone benches or even tables and chairs to allow people to sit and relax. Large sculptures of birds and animals were also scattered throughout the plants, almost as if the sculptures were alive and walking among the flowers.

Whoever had designed the area was a genius. Different trees were intermixed so that one can enjoy this area in all possible seasons.

In the spring, cherry blossoms would be able to dance in the wind.

The summer would show the delicate buds of peach blossoms.

Once fall came would be when maples celebrate in their red glory.

And in the winter, dainty plum blossoms would peak out of their branches with the snow.

Since the time was currently spring, the area was filled with the petals of her namesake. But Sakura's steps were in a different direction.

On the other side of the yard was a large pond with a terrace leading to a pagoda. The pond was filled with lotus flowers, open to the sun in all their glory. The lotus leaves were so tall and plentiful that one could get lost if they rowed a boat into the watery forest. Willow trees were planted around the pond, to give shade for those who wished to walk on the banks. And within the water, glimpses of red gold and white could be seen where koi darted around the tall stems of the lotuses.

Sakura walked into the pagoda, and sat at the table in the middle. Once she set down her guqin, she could hear Tenten - who had followed her - walk back towards the house to brew some tea. The weather was perfect for flower tea and pastries, the maid had told her before she left.

When Sakura was alone in the pagoda, she lifted her pale fingers and slowly brushed them across the strings of the guqin.

…

Itachi slowly rubbed his eyes as he walked away from the main palace. When Sakura had cured the young prince, Madara gave Itachi a week to rest and recuperate from the illness, which Itachi chose to do in his family compound. After that, Itachi had to once again start living in the imperial palace and attend all the court sessions. Today's was the first one since his illness and Itachi had a lot of catching up to do.

Instead of walking to his area of the palace, he headed over to where a certain princess was living in. It seemed about time to visit the woman he had sent flowers to.

…

When Tenten led the prince to the pagoda, Sakura stopped playing her guqin to look at the guest. She gave him a shy smile and with her cheeks blushing, she beckoned for the Uchiha to sit and help himself to the snacks that Tenten then set on the table between them. Itachi nodded as he picked up his cup to smell the flower tea. He then looked up at the maid standing to the side and with a wave of his hand, beckoned for her to leave. Once Tenten was out of sight, the prince was alone with the princess, and the two looked at each other with matching smirks.

The demure look on Sakura's face was completely gone, replaced with a professional one. Itachi still looked as calm as ever, but now his posture was no longer like a charming young prince, but that of one patient waiting for orders from his doctor.

"Well then, your highness. I will need you to lie down on the bench."

Once Itachi did so, he closed his eyes while Sakura lightly place her fingers along his temples, her hands glowing green with chakra.

Their plan was simple: To an outsider, Itachi would be courting Sakura, giving him an excuse to visit her daily in his attempts to endear himself to her. Where in actuality, he was checking up on his doctor, so that Sakura could heal his eyes with each meeting using her chakra. His eyes had deteriorated to the point that she needed many sessions to heal him, and this was the only way they could think of to hide what they were doing.

Each session only needed around five minutes, but Sakura suggested for the prince to stay for around an hour. When he had asked why, she said with a knowing smile that he should use the time alone with her to catch up on sleep. Power naps, she called it.

When her fingers left his temple, Itachi decided to stay on the bench lying down. He felt incredibly comfortable from her chakra, and his eyes were no longer strained. As he started to doze off, he could hear the young doctor start playing her guqin again.

* * *

I thought I'd make you guys experience withdrawal, but I decided to give you all one last chapter. Just to remind you guys, I most likely won't update until December 1st since my family is going on a massive camping trip to the mountains.

As a person that's constantly glued to my laptop/ipad/phone, I'll be the one experiencing internet withdrawal. Too bad there's no way to save fanfics in a cache of some sort so that I can read them without internet.

If you're confused on why she has such a huge yard, I'll just tell you guys that it's pretty common, especially for the women of the imperial palace of high ranking, and Sakura has the highest ranking of all. Heck, she's the only woman, so she's living like a queen. Literally. But since she can't exactly return the yard like she did with the decorations, she's just enjoying the very nice backyard.

To those who thought Itachi fell in love immediately, I'm sorry (LOL). But to those who suspected otherwise, congrats! I wasn't sure if you guys picked up on it when Sakura was like, "We should discuss how to heal your eyes" but that was the hint I gave you guys that not everything is as it seems. If you want instant Sakura-harem, you would do better with reading my other fanfics about Akatsuki basketball. Though that one is like a super laid back funny read full of fluff.

Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed this.

WhiteMint

* * *

The suitors list should still be the same as last chapter. I'm too lazy to copy and paste it.


	9. The Secret Guard

Summary: In the imperial capital of Konoha, it was the norm for men to reign supreme while wives and concubines lived in seclusion like elegant flowers inside a locked garden. However, everything changed when one pink-haired medic entered the capital. SakuraxMulti

* * *

Chapter 9: The Secret Guard

* * *

Kakashi sighed as he flipped another page in the book he had in his hands. He wasn't sure what was more boring: having this job or not having any job. Madara must have been insane to get all worked up over a simple girl to assign Kakashi on secret guard duty.

That's right. _Secret_ guard duty.

Kakashi wasn't one of the guards that stood at the gates of the compound that the First Princess lived in, those were the guards in public. Instead, Kakashi was currently perched on the roof of the princess's living quarters while mentally checking her chakra signature and the chakra signatures of everyone within a mile radius.

As Kakashi's eyes trailed over the familiar words of his worn down book, he mentally contemplated how he ended up stuck here on secret guard duty.

When the emperor Uchiha Madara first started his reign, he did many unconventional things at once. One of such things was the existence of people like Kakashi. These people were Madara's own secret military force, also known as anbu.

On the surface, Madara has two different military forces.

First would be the military soldiers. The soldiers numbered in the tens of thousands and were led by generals of different ranks. The military participated in wars and skirmishes with other countries and were the main fighting group to keep Madara's hold on his country stable from other countries.

The second is the police. This group is filled to the brim with Uchihas and they were the ones to protect the peace within the imperial capital Konoha. Any gate guards or guards patrolling the streets were members of the police.

But a third force, which is what Kakashi was in, was the secret force not known to public called the anbu. This was a small ninja force trained in espionage, assassinations, and spying. The members all had code names when working and only Madara himself knew who all the members were. Orochimaru was one of the best of the best in the anbu until he decided to retire and travel the world at the same time the other Sannin decided to leave Konoha.

So to Kakashi's knowledge, there were only these three groups. But Kakashi had an inkling there was another even _more_ hidden force within the palace walls.

Now, the point of this was that Kakashi was a very high ranked anbu member. In fact, after Orochimaru left, he was one of the best in the ranks. In the underworld, people even called him the Copy Ninja due to Kakashi's photographic memory in learning different martial arts skills. He even had a nice big bounty on his head. But to think that Madara would use someone as important as Kakashi just for the sake of one pink haired girl just baffled the smut reading ninja. Granted, when Kakashi was assigned the guard duty, he honestly wasn't doing anything at the moment, so he had no choice but to accept.

The mission so far has been completely boring.

At first, it was somewhat interesting to follow her around when she went to heal the critical patients, but once you've seen one healing session, you've seen them all. Now that the epidemic has been completely controlled, Sakura now found herself with much more free time to do almost nothing. And do nothing she did.

The most interesting thing Kakashi probably saw was when the Uchiha prince started courting her. But it was probably also the most embarrassing thing he had to watch on a near daily basis. The imperial prince and princess: it was like a match made in heaven. He honestly felt like an old man with his currently single status as he watched the two meet in the gardens every day. The girl would caress the prince's bangs while he would nap under her hands. She would also play music for him to listen to, if they could be even cheesier.

But aside from the daily visits from Itachi, the princess Sakura never did much aside from studying scrolls or other girly stuff. Speaking of which - he probed the complex with his chakra again - she was still working on that same damn thing.

Kakashi shook his head. The princess has spent the past two hours in the exact same spot stitching whatever it was in her hands. So boring. He couldn't believe women focused on things like embroidery. He decided that she didn't seem like she'd so much as budge in the next hour so he decided to focus on his favorite book. He was getting close to one of his favorite scenes after all.

As Kakashi delved into the naughty contents of his favorite icha icha, he secretly continued to mentally complain about how overqualified he was to guard this new princess.

Just when he was getting to the good parts with the "ohhs" and "ahhs", a voice suddenly spoke in front of him.

"I can't believe you read Jiraiya's books. To think I used to look up to the great Copy Ninja. Give me back my respect!"

…

Sakura wasn't stupid.

Oh, she knew about the guard that started following her a few days after she arrived at Konoha. Just like she knew that her personal maid had an incredibly large number of hidden weapons in her robes to be just a simple maid.

Sakura had learned about sensing chakra probes from a childhood friend and sensor before and as subtle as Kakashi was, Sakura was able to feel his constant probes. Even the maid didn't seem to know about the secret guard. Which meant that he was excellent at concealing what he was doing. Just not good enough to escape Sakura's detection. She had also realized that it was a guard and not some kind of assassin after her little stalker did absolutely nothing except follow her around. It had taken a few days of selective positioning and secretive glances to finally spot her guard, and boy was she surprised. She never expected that the famed _Hatake Kakashi_ would be _her_ guard.

And it made her ecstatic.

She wanted to talk to the man that she read so much about, but since he was so good at hiding, she knew that openly going towards him will only make him harder to catch. She had to find a way to sneak up on him.

It took the better part of two weeks of constant observations on his behaviors to realize what would make him relax his guard and decrease the frequency of his chakra probes searching for her position. And that was simple: stay absolutely still by doing something boring.

She first realized it when she had been grinding herbs to restock her medicine supply. It had taken her most of the afternoon full of tedious grinding and pill making and the more she worked, she noticed the less he would check on her location. Once she moved to eat dinner, the chakra probes resumed tracking her location at all times. He was excellent at his job, that was sure, but even he had some periods of laziness.

At first she thought about finding him when she was supposed to be asleep, but after recognizing his signature, she could tell that he would switch out with another guard during the evening.

Left with no choice, she decided to force him to let his guard down, hence why she was currently sitting still and trying to embroider.

She had gotten two squares of a nice navy silk along with a fine silver thread and was working to combine the two. She wanted to make a satchel, a small purse that can dangle from the belt of the robes and can be used to carry money. Another use for cloth satchels that are very popular with ladies would be to hold flower petals in order to give them a nice scent while walking around. But she intended this one to hold not flowers, but herbs.

But even with her best of efforts, the satchel was not coming along well. Sakura's hands were absolutely precise with delicate surgeries and medicine making but when it came to the fine arts common to women, she was dearly lacking. Suffice to say, Sakura was absolutely terrible at embroidery.

She frowned as she looked at her work. It had been two hours and the satchel looked like something a five year old made. The bag itself wasn't a nice square bag it should be, but was lopsided with uneven threading. The embroidery that she painstakingly worked on didn't look much like a dragon. In fact, even if you squinted, you probably still can't tell it's a dragon. That's right, she embroidered a dragon onto her little satchel, even if the dragon was a huge failure that looked nothing like a dragon. Which meant that it could only be worn on those who were members of the imperial family.

So which member of the imperial family was this for? Certainly not herself.

Sakura had noticed that Prince Itachi was getting more and more stressed after coming back to court. It was ironic that after surviving death from disease he was now being suffocated with piles and piles of paperwork. She wanted to help her patient and now whom she considered as friend and decided on making him a small herb satchel. Sakura had already made her mix of herbs compromising mainly of mint to give him something to carry around and help relax him in the form of aromatherapy. But she was now stuck at making the damn satchel.

Normal women who were decent at embroidery would have finished the task after an hour, but she was still not halfway through after two. Sighing as she flipped to the other side of the pouch, she decided that she wasn't going to work on the lousy 'dragon' anymore and started to stitch the word 'peace'.

As she resumed her stitches, she smirked as she noticed the steady decrease in the amount of chakra probes. Soon.

…

Kakashi was startled. He knew the voice. After all, he's had to 'guard' the owner of the voice for weeks now. Kakashi glanced up from his book to see the pink haired girl standing in front of him. How did she get here? Crap, he hadn't been paying attention to her location in the past half an hour since she never budged from her spot - he usually did his chakra scans every ten or so minutes. She probably sneaked up on him during the break. But first things first.

"How do you know who I am?"

Sakura tilted her head as if he was asking a stupid question, "Bingo book of course. I read all about you."

Now that made Kakashi also tilt his head in confusion, "Bingo books aren't something you can find at your usual book store. Where did you manage to get a copy?"

Sakura blinked, and gave him a calm smile, "Orochimaru-sensei gave it to me. He also told me a lot about you."

Ahh damn, that figures. If she got trained by one Sannin, there's no doubt she knows the other two as well.

Sakura continued on, "Orochimaru-sensei told me that back when he was in anbu, you were the most promising new recruit they had."

Well that was flattering.

Sakura's face then gave a grimace, "But to think that Jiraiya managed to corrupt you. What a waste. All my efforts to finally talk to you was for nothing."

That got his attention. It was weird enough that she could sense him, but she had also been wanting to talk to him?

"Why did you want to meet me?" Kakashi responded, his voice careful.

Sakura gave him a smile as brilliantly as the sun, "Who wouldn't want to meet the famed Copy Ninja with a 1 million gold coins bounty on his head? I read that you know more than a thousand different martial arts techniques all from copying your opponents."

He gave her a small smile, not that she'd see it from his mask, "Not all that is written is true." He had passed the one thousand mark years ago.

Sakura nodded at his words, "Yep, Orochimaru-sensei told me you were close to learning one thousand back when he was still in anbu-"

He winced, she even knew about anbu? Orochimaru sure told her a lot, seems like the snake sannin doted on her.

"-and that by now you should have probably learned maybe even two thousand techniques!" Sakura's eyes gleamed in excitement.

Now he felt guilty. He hadn't quite reached the two thousand number.

As he studied the young girl in front of him, she was doing the same.

Sakura looked at the famed ninja in front of her leaning on the roof tiles. He was wearing very tight clothes comprising of a sleeveless shirt and pants in all black that would normally have embarrassed the girl if she hadn't worn similar ones back when she learned the art of spying from Orochimaru. She knew that while they showed your figure much more than normal loose and flowy robes, they were much easier to move in and had minimal rustling of fabric. On one arm was a tattoo of the anbu symbol and Sakura had to stop herself from touching the interesting tattoo. Protecting his arms, legs, and chest were slate gray guards that looked very light yet durable. The man himself had a black cloth mask that covered his entire face from eyes down to the neck. Only one eye could be seen as the other was covered with a metal forehead protector that was carved with the leaf insignia symbolizing Konoha. Only by seeing his gravity defying grey hair and one lazy black eye, Sakura couldn't tell if he was aged from anywhere between twenty to forty years old.

But now she was satisfied with finally meeting one of the current legends that she had always read about. Too bad he had broken the mental pedestal she had placed him on with his lazy demeanor and the porn book in front of his face.

Kakashi glanced at the strange princess in front of him. Watching her interactions with the people around her had made him catalog her personality as one who was very good with medicine, gentle, and humble. Not that bad of a princess, but nothing special. He felt like he was cheated upon realizing that he was completely wrong with his initial assumption and there was much more to her. The fact that she got on the roof without a ladder spoke that she had either jumped on top, or walked on the walls. Both of which would require the use of chakra, something he didn't know she could use. He frowned at the new knowledge. He had never seen her use chakra even once during the entire time he had guarded her. That meant she never did use it, or was so precise with its usage that no excess chakra can be seen with its typical glow. When he looked at her feet that was planted firmly on the curved tiles of the roof but there was no glow of chakra, he concluded that it was the latter. She must have exceptional chakra control if even he was unable to see it after weeks of guarding her.

As he mentally rearranged his appraisal of the girl, he decided to break the silence, "So what made you interested in meeting me?" He assumed that she planned for the meeting since she caught him in one of the rare moments he was distracted.

Sakura wrenched her curious gaze from staring at the ceramic cat mask he had propped on his head – probably to be able to read more comfortably – and looked at his gaze calmly.

"Simple, I want to learn martial arts from you."

* * *

I hope you guys enjoyed the early chapter! I typed it up on my laptop while we were driving between cities and I figured my readers would appreciate getting it earlier than planned. I'm glad to finally start introducing Team Seven. I feel like this story is going to be super long with all the characters that I'll have to write about sooner or later. But I'm still full of ideas in my head that just need to be penned down! I already have an idea on Neji's intro to the story, so he'll probably pop up next after Team Seven.

If you guys are in a hurry to see certain new characters or want to see more of some kind of pairing, tell me and I'll try to accommodate :3

Just a question, are you guys interested in another side fic of Sakura's past? I was thinking I can write one with Sakura learning from Jiraiya and Orochimaru whenever they visit Tsunade. The three Sannin will probably be fun to write about and if you guys are interested, I'll make one like I did with A Noble in Secret.

Also, I plan on making a bio of all the characters to help me keep track of them, like titles, age, etc. Would you guys be interested in seeing them? I can post it on my profile or something.

Finally, if you guys are curious on Madara's personality, I'll try to explain my reasoning. I figured that this would be the type of rule Madara would be if he actually ruled: ruthless, highly capable, and oh so jealous of things he wants. I feel like that's his character, but I'm not that sure since I never read the manga part where he really comes to play.

Oh, and I want to rant a little. I stopped reading the manga after the Akatsuki arc but I did read a couple of chapters of the new series (Naruto Gaiden or something) where all the characters have kids. And I have to say, Sakura massively disappointed me. Especially when (spoiler alert?) her kid didn't even think Sakura was her mom. I guess I just have an idealized version of the Sakura who trained under Tsunade and got super strong and confident and I just don't want to end up ruining my ideals by reading more of the manga. Seeing her as a housewife to Sasuke (who was never home) was just plain pitiful. It makes me want to bang my head in frustration.

Sorry about the rant.

Cheers,

WhiteMint

PS: To those who think my chapters are short, I guess it's my personal preference to make short but frequent chapters compared to long chapters that don't update as often. It also helps me know how you guys think of the story as it goes.

* * *

Suitors: Itachi, Sasori, Deidara, Neji, Madara, Pein, Gaara, Shikamaru, C/Shi

Friendzoned: Haku, Kisame, Kakuzu, Zetsu, Lee, Orochimaru, Jiraiya, Obito, Nagato, Kankuro, Yamato, Hidan, Genma, all parents

Maybe?: Kabuto, Kimimaru, Shisui

Team 7 family forever: Sasuke, Naruto, Sai, Kakashi, Yamato

Need to research: Toneri, Yagura, Utakata


	10. The New Heir

Summary: In the imperial capital of Konoha, it was the norm for men to reign supreme while wives and concubines lived in seclusion like elegant flowers inside a locked garden. However, everything changed when one pink-haired medic entered the capital. SakuraxMulti

* * *

Chapter 10: The New Heir

* * *

Hiashi Hyuga stared at the board in front of him as his fingers idly played with the black stone in his hands. His younger brother's last move had been particularly tricky, one that looked like a mistake, but held much more significance if one were to predict the future pattern of how the go board would end up in. As he continued to think about where his piece should go, his thoughts couldn't help but wander off to the issue that had been bugging him the past week.

Knowing his elder twin brother the way he did, Hizashi noticed the exact moment Hiashi's mind became busy with something that wasn't the go board between them, "Are you thinking about _her_ again?"

The 'her' that Hizashi referred to was no one other than the First Princess Sakura Haruno. Last week was the first time Hiashi talked to the girl, since a view of her from court didn't count. She had come to heal the matriarch of the clan, his wife, from the disease. Other members of the clan had also been struck, but Hiashi's wife health had been particularly worrisome, requiring Sakura to personally go visit the woman.

Hiashi sighed as he placed the stone back inside the container holding much more of its kind, and looked at his younger twin.

"You are correct, as usual. I'm thinking about what to do with her sudden presence in the capital."

Sakura's mannerisms during her visit were impeccable with all the grace and dignity required for her position, yet there was a firm resolve that was full of confidence in the way she spoke to him, who was the clan head, when she entered the Hyuga clan compound, that was quite unlike any woman of power. She had no hesitation in looking straight into his white eyes, and her voice was firm when she told – almost _ordered_ – him on what he needed to do for his wife. It had made Hiashi wonder just where on earth the girl came from, for her to act of such nobility and confidence. Certainly not from somewhere in the countryside, if her manners and wit had anything to show. He had noticed her mental strength back when she attended the momentous court session, and it was further confirmed when she visited to the clan compound. If she had been born a man, she would no doubt be capable of climbing far in the government ranks. But since she was a woman, it made things all the more difficult.

Hiashi valued skill and intelligence, and it did not take him long to see just how valuable the princess was. He wanted her to marry into the Hyuga clan, her intellect will make her an excellent matriarch of the clan, and her ruling from the shadows would no doubt bring the clan to greatness. But her position as First Princess and her power with the imperial decree did not make it easy to obtain her hand. What Hiashi first needed was someone in his family to court her, and there was only one person he could think of who could possibly have the abilities to interest the girl.

Hiashi spoke up, "What we talked about a year ago… Do you remember?"

Hizashi's shoulders tensed as he looked at his older brother in the eye, "Yes, of course I remember. But are you sure about this?"

The clan head gave a small nod, "Her presence at the capital changes everything. He's the only one with any chances of being on par with her with skill and intellect, but he needs power, he needs a higher standing. The damn Uchiha's had already set their clan heir and prince to court the girl, and I refuse to allow them to get her."

Hizashi was torn with mixed feelings, he was happy at the prospect that he had never even dreamed to hope for, but was still worried about how this will affect their clan, "Are you sure about this? You know the clan elders will have a fit when they realize what you plan to do with my son."

Hiashi nodded, "I will handle the elders, and sway them to my cause… If you could go bring your son now, I will start writing the petition."

The two brothers got up, the go board left forgotten. As Hiashi walked towards his desk, Hizashi left the room with a simple, "I'll be back in a few minutes."

…

Neji wasn't sure what to make of his current predicament, as he knelt respectfully in front of the Hyuga clan head who was sitting with his father.

It was not often that Neji met the clan head alone, being a branch member, so it was a surprise to say the least when his father called him to meet Hyuga Hiashi.

"Neji," Hiashi spoke up, "Your father and I have been watching your progress throughout the years and we believe that you are peerless among your generation. You should be proud."

' _Proud'_

The words sounded bitter to Neji.

Neji clenched his hands in anger underneath his sleeves, but the two could not see. After all, even if he was better than any other Hyuga in his generation, it did not mean anything. He was only a branch member, and as per Hyuga tradition, his fate in life was to serve the main branch. Peerless? It was laughable.

Which was why the next words Hiashi spoke up shocked the young man to speechlessness.

"I have decided to name you heir to the clan."

His white eyes widened as the calm mask he always wore cracked to show his flabbergasted expression. Neji looked at his father in confusion and he gave Neji a small smile in confirmation.

Hiashi's voice broke Neji out of his reverie as he continued, "I will petition the emperor to approve of this change, which he should have no problems with."

The emperor himself had broken the tradition for the heir to the throne, and Hiashi was sure that Madara would be fine with the Hyuga clan doing something similar.

Neji sat there with an unfamiliar feeling in his chest.

It was hope.

Hope that his uncle's words would be true and that Neji would be the next head of the clan.

Neji kowtowed so low his forehead touched the floor, "Thank you for this honor."

As he raised his head again, Hiashi had a slightly uncomfortable look on his face. There was a mark of hesitation.

"Neji, once you are approved of your position as clan heir, there is something you must do immediately."

Neji took in the words, "What is it?"

"You need to start courting Haruno Sakura."

The name was unfamiliar to him, but after a second's thought, Neji remembered. It was the female doctor who visited to cure the matriarch of the clan. The First Princess.

Neji was not one who was prone to listening to gossip, so the next set of news surprised the young man.

His father spoke up, "Haruno Sakura, the First Princess. She is of the highest rank an unmarried woman can ever be and whomever she chooses to marry will be practically marrying into the imperial family… However, she is more than just a title. She is also the apprentice to Tsunade, one of the legendary Sannin. We have met her and she is also well spoken and smart. She will make a fine wife, no matter who she marries."

Hiashi then added, "The Uchiha's are also interested in her. During the court session, Madara offered her a position as imperial concubine, which she declined. It has also been brought to our attention that Uchiha Itachi is actively courting her… And I do not expect you to lose to an Uchiha."

Neji gave a nod in acknowledgement.

"You are dismissed."

As Neji walked out of the room, he heard Hiashi's parting words, "Remember Neji, whoever marries her, will gain unprecedented power and influence at court."

Neji was completely confident in success. After all, it was just courting some princess. How hard could it be?

…

Madara read the petition in his hands. His face was cold as usual, but a hint of a smirk graced his lips. He studied the kneeling Hyuga in front of him and contemplated the reasoning behind the petition. Hiashi Hyuga was every bit the traditionalist as the rest of his uptight clan so the current petition he had given Madara surprised the emperor.

"So you wish to make your nephew, Neji Hyuga, heir to the clan? Even though he is a branch member."

Hiashi was not a man to get nervous often, but the emperor that was over ten years his junior was one of the few that made Hiashi on guard, "Yes, even though tradition dictates that each clan heir should be from the main branch family, I believe that Neji has the skill, talent, and potential to lead the clan to great lengths. Also… I only have daughters. And as they say, once a daughter is married into a new family, she is like spilled water, never to go back. Even if our clan tradition has never done this, I believe this is for the best of the clan."

Madara gave a small chuckle at the Hyuga's words. A Hyuga going against tradition? It was interesting, and a step into a new direction. In his opinion, Konoha needed more of the stingy clans to change for the better. It will make his empire grow in power if clans finally accept that the times are changing.

"This king approves of your petition. Pein!"

His Prime Minister gave a short bow, "Yes, your majesty."

"Write this down. Hyuga Neji is now approved to become the clan heir of the Hyuga family. Also, this king will now promote Hyuga Hiashi from a second step official to first step."

Pein hesitated, his eyes wide at the sudden promotion, before he quickly composed himself, "Yes, this servant will obey."

Pein walked to the room behind the throne quickly and came back with a necklace that was stringed with white jade beads. As he walked towards the Hyuga clan head, he held up the beads, "As per his majesty's words, you, Hyuga Hiashi, are now promoted to first step official."

Hiashi's hands trembled a little before he reached for the green jade beads that he had worn for nearly half his life and lifted them off his neck. As he handed the necklace to Pein, he received the white jades in return. Feeling the weight of the new beads around his neck, Hiashi once again bowed to the emperor, "This servant thanks his majesty."

* * *

Hello my dear readers~

I'm so sorry that the updates aren't everyday like they were before. I'm a little busy nowadays and whenever I do write, it ends up being like two paragraphs for different chapters (by now I've gotten to chapter 13 where Sasori comes in) instead of focusing solely on one. I also started writing the side story for Sakura's time with the Sannin. I plan for it to be a humorous story of Sakura at every age until she finally goes to Konoha.

Neji was super hard to write. So if that part sounded a little odd, it's that I still don't really have his personality down.

I tried writing the chapter where Sakura finally meets Team 7 but I can't seem to flesh it out the way I want. Though I bet some of the stuff Sai says will make you guys choke from laughter (or so I hope). So I decided to publish the chapter that introduces Neji first. Blame my ficky muse.

Cheers,

WhiteMint

* * *

ShadowPanther: I was originally planning on making Hidan (whenever I actually introduce him) a monk. A terrible, foul-mouthed, religious nut who has no qualms about making sexual innuendos. But I don't plan on making him a legit suitor. Would that be ok with you?

sakurafan700: Yeah… I never expected Sasuke and Sakura to legit get married either. I'll throw in a chapter with Madara and Sakura soon :)

silverwolfigther00: I know how you feel too well with fanfics that I love.

Sayuri: Yep… The whole premise of the story is basically how Sakura is going to turn Konoha upside down in a battle for her hand LOL. Though I'm not gonna add anything tragic. I want it to be a fun romance.

JUCHKO: Naruto's position in the story is also giving me headaches. I'm not sure what to put his father as. Though most likely Naruto won't meet Sakura as a child.


	11. The Team

Summary: In the imperial capital of Konoha, it was the norm for men to reign supreme while wives and concubines lived in seclusion like elegant flowers inside a locked garden. However, everything changed when one pink-haired medic entered the capital. SakuraxMulti

* * *

Chapter 11: The Team

* * *

The wind blew past with its gentle caress around the two people who were currently on the roof.

"I refuse."

Kakashi's response was swift and decisive.

"Why not?"

Sakura's gentle reply rang out. However, the slight narrowing of her eyes showed her increasing temper.

"Most women don't practice martial arts," Was Kakashi's lazy answer as he returned his gaze to his book. Why did she have to interrupt him at his favorite part, of all places.

A slender hand reached out and plucked the offending icha icha from his hands as Sakura bent her head down to his eyelevel, "I'm not most women."

Kakashi ignored her words as he took another book from his pouch. He always kept a backup just in case.

Sakura scoffed as the ninja once again ignored her once again. 'He should be titled The Lazy Pervert Ninja instead of The Copy Ninja,' she thought when she suddenly got of a new idea.

"As the First Princess, I order you to train me." Her voice filled with glee.

"…" Kakashi once again tore his eye away from his book, "I only take orders from the emperor."

"You'll make me bother his highness? You know he'll just say yes. After all, he was the one who gave me the title of First Princess and wrote the decree for my sake." Sakura spoke up, her voice radiating confidence as if Kakashi having to train her was a done deal, even though she was bluffing at this rate.

Those words made Kakashi pause, as he reorganized his thoughts. It was true that Madara seemed to value the princess in front of him highly, otherwise the emperor wouldn't have ordered Kakashi to spend all his time guarding her. The way she spoke and the arrogance she oozed out hinted that she already had Madara around her little finger. Whatever she ordered, was an order from the emperor.

How did he get into this mess? Curse fate for not letting him be in some other country on a mission the week the little princess made her presence known in the imperial city.

"Fine… But you need to hide your identity."

…

Once again dressed in men's robes, Sakura confidently walked the streets of Konoha. This time however, she didn't bother to color her hair. The sweat from training would have removed it, and she didn't want to explain why her hair suddenly changed colors.

She hadn't felt this excited since the last time she stole Orochimaru's purple rope belt. Running through the rooftops of Sound while Orochimaru chased after her was one of her more fond memories where they played tag between the yells of "That's my favorite belt!" and "But it looks tacky on you sensei!"

Maybe the excitement was caused by her equally illegal actions of climbing the walls to sneak out of the palace after telling Tenten she would sleep early tonight.

Sakura enjoyed the street marketplace as outside vendors decided to close shop for the night. Evening was approaching, and she was currently walking towards the location Kakashi told her.

Luckily for her, Kakashi spent once a week training three other students her age. It was his supposed 'job' of a martial arts instructor to hide his secret anbu status. Due to her manipulations, he had agreed to let her join the others, as long as she hid her identity from them.

Reaching her destination point, Sakura started walking onto a small red bridge that crossed a calm brook. Waiting at the top arc of the bridge were most likely her other sensei and classmates.

The first person she crossed eyes with was a boy that had watched her nearing their group with curiosity. He had sun-kissed blond locks of hair that stuck everywhere. The slowly setting sun gave his hair an almost tarnished color, and the deepening shade just made his bright blue eyes all the more noticeable. As her emerald eyes met his sapphire once, she was startled at how pure and innocent his eyes were, yet they shone with mischievousness. His training clothes were like hers, a long-sleeved shirt that did not go past his knees like normal robes, but stopped at mid-thigh to allow for more room to maneuver. Hanging on both sides of his cloth belt were two three-pronged daggers, probably his favorite weapon of choice.

But the color of his clothes… Copper? No, Sakura blinked, they were… Orange? Strange. Orange, with a dark red fox embroidered on his chest, and black edging his robes.

Just as she was studying the whisker-like scars on his cheeks, he called out to her, "Who are you?"

Sakura's steps paused as the others in the group turned around to look at her.

The other three were now face to face with her, and she studied them all carefully. The oldest man of the group didn't seem surprised at her presence. She guessed that it was the other teacher that Kakashi had mentioned. He had short brown hair and darker almond shaped eyes. Strapped across his back was a long katana and his clothes were of a simple dark grey color. With a start, Sakura realized that his chakra was actually the same as the other 'secret guard' that took the night shifts.

Wrenching her eyes away from the older man, she studied the other two males who looked her age. They both had black hair, black eyes, blank faces, and pale skin. They looked so alike that they could have been mistaken for brothers, and the tell-tale Uchiha crest on their robes gave away their clan identity. The Uchiha closest to her had short hair but long bangs that framed his face, and when Sakura looked at his slanted eyes, she noted that he looked surprisingly similar to Itachi. The other Uchiha had straighter hair and his eyes were flat with the lack of emotions. His blank face was replaced by a small lifting of the edges of his lips, which Sakura guessed was probably his attempt to look like he was smiling. The first one had a long katana strapped along his back while the other had a tanto on his belt. Faced with their equally unsettling eyes on her, Sakura wasn't sure what to make of all the Uchihas that were popping up in front of her like mushrooms after a rain.

…

Sasuke Uchiha, bored of waiting for Kakashi-sensei, turned around to see what was bugging the dobe. His eyes glanced upon a young man walking towards them. If it wasn't for the fact that Uchihas never show surprise, he would have blinked in shock at the guy's hair. It was _pink_ , of all colors. The pink-haired person was casually dressed in training robes just like them. The shirt was a maroon color with a white circle on the chest of the Haruno clan, and the pants were of the same white. A Haruno, huh? Explains the pink hair, since their clan was littered with members of reddish hair color ranging from orange to a deep copper. Sasuke guessed that pink had to be on the rare side, but still possible. But aside from the girly hair color, there was something about the young man that seemed… Off.

"Hello, I'm Seiki Haruno. Kakashi-sensei let me join this training group, so I'll be training with you guys from now on. Nice to meet you."

The voice confirmed it, it was clearly a woman's voice, even though deepened to sound masculine. And if Sasuke wasn't trying to catch it, even he might have been fooled.

As Yamato replied to the mystery woman's greetings, Sasuke looked at his two teammates. Naruto was too dense to see behind the men's robes, and Sai was too socially constipated to tell a difference between genders, even if she wasn't under disguise. Sasuke glanced at Yamato with suspicion, and the carefully blank face of his other instructor told him all he needed to know. Yamato knew who Seiki Haruno was, and he wasn't sharing. Sasuke gave a small scoff of disdain. If the teacher didn't want to say anything, it wasn't his problem.

"Hello Seiki Haruno," Sai walked up to her with a smile that was so obviously fake even a child would notice, "My name is Sai Uchiha, and the two fellow teammates with me are dickless and brocon."

"Brocon?" Sakura understood what 'dickless' meant, but the term 'brocon' was unfamiliar to her. She was also curious on which nickname corresponded to which individual. Her curiosity was soon satisfied when the other teammates retaliated.

"In a book I read about dysfunctional family connections, they defined the term called 'brother complex' or 'brocon' for short. It's because the other Uchiha here is obsessed with his older brother to disgusting levels."

"I'm not a brocon!" Sasuke suddenly exuded killing intent as he lunged at Sai.

"Don't call me dickless! I have one thank you very much!" And Naruto jumped into the brawl.

As the three rolled around the bridge throwing punches at each other, Sakura looked at her two senseis.

Kakashi, who had just arrived, had his face in his book.

Yamato had the decency to look embarrassed, "Stop it, you're giving Seiki-kun a bad impression."

After a pulling the boys away from each other – along with giving Naruto a scary look to shut him up – the teacher Yamato got everyone to stand still.

"Let's start training now… Five laps around Konoha followed by all the basic katas. Start!"

Once they finished their warmups, their training had included sparring with each other in pairs and they all rotated until so that everyone fought each other at least once. Sakura's first sparring partner was Naruto, who looked like he was goofing off.

It had seemed that no one initially thought much of her… Until her punch made Naruto fly horizontally twenty feet into a tree.

After watching Naruto's airborne travel, the other two Uchihas had made sure to take her fists seriously when it was their turn to spar against her. Sasuke even turned on his Sharingan.

…

It was nearing midnight when Kakashi stopped their training.

Naruto collapsed onto the ground as he cried, "I'm hungry!"

Sakura's hands were on her knees as she tried to catch her breath. She was sharing the same sentiments as the blonde. Dinner had long since been burned away, but she felt incredibly happy with herself and rather generous.

"How about a meal on me?" Sakura stated with a small smile, "As thanks for letting me join."

Naruto gave a loud whoop in agreement as the other members gave more polite nods.

"Let's go to Ichiraku!" Naruto practically jumped with excitement while Sasuke gave a groan in disgust.

"It's probably the only place open right now," Yamato told the disgruntled Uchiha.

As the group walked away from the training grounds, Naruto suddenly thought of a surprisingly non-ramen related idea, "Since Seiki joined us, we should have a team name!"

Kakashi pouted, "But I liked the name Team Kakashi"

"But we've been Team Kakashi since we were kids!" Naruto whined.

"Also, you're no longer the only instructor," Sasuke inputted his own opinion.

The rest of the members ignored the look of mourning on Kakashi's face, 'They used to listen to every word I said. To think they were once so cute…'

Naruto's hands ruffled his hair as he thought hard, "Since there's seven of us, we'll be called Team Seven!"

"Not only are you missing a crucial male organ, you're also missing a brain."

"Dobe, there's six of us."

"Wait, seriously?! But Team Seven sounds way cooler than Team Six."

Sakura laughed at the bickering two before adding her opinion, "Seven is an auspicious number. I like the name."

And that was how Team Seven formed.

* * *

Hello my dear readers!

You guys wouldn't believe how stoked I was when the number of favorites for this story passed 100. I kept refreshing my email to check if anyone else would favorite The Imperial Princess after the 99th favorite.

I'm sorry this chapter is not up to my usual speed, but it was so so hard to introduce/describe Sasuke and Sai. That part took the longest. Did you guys like the brocon joke? I've seen those fics where people pair Itachi and Sasuke (never read them though, I'm all about that reverse harem) so I figured you guys might enjoy the nickname. After all, Sai has to be able to piss off both Naruto and Sasuke properly.

Also, if you're curious why I didn't use "Sakumo Haruno" that seems to be common in the other fanfics, its cause Kakashi's dad is named Sakumo. I study way too much on characters from the real Naruto series so I've been spending a lot time reading the wiki. In my side story with the Sannin (halfway done) I even study the map on the wiki to learn about each of the different countries, even though you can't really tell much lol.

Just curious, does anyone want Shisui as a suitor? I read Training Grounds ThirtySeven by KatMaxKu and I cried buckets from it. It made me want to add Shisui as a suitor if my readers don't mind. I'm guessing most of you guys want the whole Shisui as Itachi's wingman thing. But ultimately, I'm motivated to give Shisui a lot more of the limelight than originally planned.

Cheers,

WhiteMint


	12. The Woodcarver

Summary: In the imperial capital of Konoha, it was the norm for men to reign supreme while wives and concubines lived in seclusion like elegant flowers inside a locked garden. However, everything changed when one pink-haired medic entered the capital. SakuraxMulti

* * *

Chapter 12: The Woodcarver

* * *

"Sakura-san! We really shouldn't be doing this!" Tenten whispered, her voice filled with worry.

"Not to worry, I have you with me. Nothing's going to happen," Sakura replied, her voice also a whisper. Sakura decided not to mention that they also had the secret guard that was still following them for even more protection. But based on Kakashi's chakra fluctuations, he was every bit as nervous about her actions as Tenten was.

The two girls were currently both dressed in servant's clothes – well for Tenten it was normal – but Sakura had once again altered her hair color and wore Tenten's extra uniform. Slung on her back inside a cloth bag was Sakura's precious guqin, and they were both walking down towards the edge of the imperial palace, or more specifically, towards the gates of the imperial palace.

"But Sakura-san…"

Sakura quickly shushed the servant. They were nearing the gate.

…

Kotetsu Hagane lifted his bottle and took another sip of his favorite concoction, "How boring, no one fun coming past these gates."

He and his partner, Izumo Kamizuke, were stationed at the front gate of the Imperial Palace, idly standing guard at one side of the large double doors.

"We're almost done with our shift, so be patient," Izumo replied, "And you should be standing on the other side!"

"But these damn doors are huge," Kotetsu grumbled, "If I stand on the other side, I'd have to yell to talk to you."

Inwardly, Izumo agreed, because the other side of the immensely large doors was indeed far away. The front gate to the imperial palace was ridiculously huge, spanning twenty feet in width and height. It was designed that way so that when the emperor deployed his troops from the palace, they would have an easier time to march through the palace walls.

Just as he was about to tell his partner to go back to his station on the other side of the gate, yelling conversation be damned, a pair of servant girls walked towards them.

The closest one was a cute redhead who had vibrant green eyes that sparkled in the sun. Her hair was tied in a long braid behind her, with a few wisps of hair to frame her face. Her partner was much more reserved, and was half hiding behind the more forward redhead. That servant had her brown hair tied in two buns behind her hair and she kept looking at the two guards with nervous apprehension.

"Hello, nice to meet you two," The redhead greeted them, "May we pass through?"

"Sure thing," Izumo replied, "I've never seen you two before, are you new here?"

The brown haired servant flinched while the redhead replied, "That's right, we're handmaids of the First Princess. My name is Saya, and this is my partner, Tenten."

"Nice to meet you two," Izumo greeted, ever the gentleman, "I'm Izumo, and this is my partner Kotetsu." He turned towards his partner and frowned at the other man's face. Kotetsu at the moment was staring at them with his jaw open and his bottle of syrup tilted dangerously halfway to his mouth. Izumo tried elbowing his partner to wake him up, but it didn't work. The man was still out of it and staring.

"Is that syrup?" The redhead asked, her voice full of curiosity.

Izumo replied in his friend's stead, "Yep, Kotetsu likes drinking syrup from some strange reason."

At that reply, the servant girl giggled, her voice ringing like silver bells, "I know this recipe for syrup swirled cookies. Then next time I see you guys, I'll bring some." And with those words and a wave, the girl and her partner left the gates.

They watched the two servant girls walk away towards the busy streets.

"Izumo…" Kotetsu had finally snapped out of it.

"What?"

"I think I'm in love."

"Give up. She's out of your league."

"Wha-" Kotetsu sputtered, "I didn't even tell you which one!"

"They're both out of your league."

…

When the two girls walked out of earshot from the two guards, Tenten let out a huge breath, "Oh Kami… I thought we would get caught!"

Sakura gave the poor girl a pat on the back, "See? I told you it would be fine! They didn't recognize me." Sakura's confidence was not groundless. After all, guards and servants alike were taught to immediately bow when faced with nobility, and while it was a gesture of politeness, it also limited the time allotted for them to actually even be able to see the person of respect. And since Sakura hasn't been in the palace for long, not many recognized the First Princess who was steadily growing in reputation in Konoha. During the times Sakura left the palace for healing, she rode a carriage that was covered with sheer cloth screens. In this era, noblewomen were always hidden from the public eye to protect their virtue and modesty. While hundreds of citizens within Konoha knew of the new First Princess, the people who would actually recognize her was few.

The two walked around the market streets, blending in with all the shoppers and street sellers. At one end, brass cymbals were banging as a crowd formed around a few street performers doing acrobatics. Sakura ignored the performance as her eyes spotted a small dessert stand, "Oh! I haven't had dango in forever!" and she dragged a nervous Tenten over. Buying two sticks, she waved one of the sticks to her maid, "Relax… And don't blow our cover." It was straight up bribery.

Tenten sighed as she took her stick of dango. Even with what Sakura kept telling the poor maid, Tenten couldn't help but be agitated. Because if anything happened to the princess, the emperor will immediately kill the maid that also doubled as a guard. Little did she know that this wasn't Sakura's first time out in the streets.

"So where are we going?" Tenten asked, her voiced muffled from chewing on the rice ball treat. She had finally decided to allow the princess to do whatever quest she needed done outside of the imperial walls as smoothly as possible, so that they could quickly return to the palace.

"To find the maker of my guqin."

…

Sasori was not having a good day to say the least.

When he first opened the shop, he was informed by a messenger that the shipment of mahogany he paid a pretty penny for was being delayed by another week. Sasori was not a patient person, and he had plans for the mahogany. Plans that were being delayed due to incompetent deliverers.

And if that didn't make his day start off on the wrong foot, his mood plummeted even more when he walked into the studio at the back of his shop.

 _Everything_ was covered in dust.

His half completed carvings, his tools, his puppet pieces, and even the stack of wood for future pieces of art. They were all covered in a fine coat of pale gray dust that will take _weeks_ to clean.

And the culprit of the dust was lying unconscious in the middle of the floor.

Sasori walked up to the stupid blonde he had the misfortune of calling his partner, making shoe prints in the dust covered floor like he was walking in snow, and kicked the unconscious man in the stomach.

He was greeted with a "Oomph! Danna!" and a groan, as the man slowly sat up.

The humanoid shaped clear space on the floor that appeared when the blonde got up normally would have amused the redhead if he wasn't so angry at the moment, " _What_ on earth did you do Deidara?"

A few mumbles of "gunpowdered clay" and "too hot from the kiln" was enough for the irate puppeteer.

Sasori shut the man up when he calmly started cleaning the bottom of his shoes on appropriate material – Deidara's robes – and gave him curt orders, "I expect this room cleaned of all dust by the end of the day. Or you can start checking all your food and drink for poison."

Leaving the imbecile whining out " _Danna_!" with shoe prints all over his robes, Sasori went to the front of the shop.

…

Sakura knew that her mother had commissioned the making of her guqin when she was young, but she did not know who it was. Luckily for her, the guqin had a small red scorpion insignia on it, and asking around the streets about the logo quickly led her to the location of the maker.

They were currently in a quiet street that was less popular to the common people due to the expensive wares these shops offered. These shops normally catered to the upper class nobility and consisted of jewelers who dealt with the most precious of gems, reputable tailors for fine silk robes, and master craftsmen who created the art that graced the houses of nobility.

Young noble ladies graced the sidewalks with their handmaidens holding onto delicate paper umbrellas to cover their mistress from the sun. Their perfume wafted in the air, making the street smell of flowers, as they walked between shops browsing the exquisite jade and stunning silks.

Tenten felt woefully out of place with her servant's garb as she walked the calm street with her princess. This location was a perfectly acceptable one for Sakura to visit normally, with all the pomp and attention a princess deserves, but Sakura was adamant about their current disguise.

"Sakura-san," Tenten whispered to her mistress, who was currently chewing a lamb skewer while looking at the noble ladies in amusement, "Why the disguise? We could have come here normally."

"Dear Tenten," Sakura replied in between chews, "To truly know a person, you need to see how they treat those below them, and not above. By acting like servants here for a task for their master, we will see just what type of person the maker of my guqin is."

And with those words, Sakura finished her skewer. She threw away the stick in one of the trashcans in front of a shop and wiped her mouth on a cloth handkerchief tucked in her sleeve. Sakura then grabbed Tenten's hand and started leading her maidservant towards the shop, Red Cloud Studios.

Upon entering the shop, the first thing Sakura's eyes laid on was a young youth looking to be in his early twenties. His scarlet red hair gave him a messy appearance, but did nothing to hide his handsome face. With half closed eyes like amber stars, he was carried about him an imposing manner that seemed to warn strangers away from him.

…

The clean tinkle of the bell at the door of the shop rang as Sasori looked up from the wooden stool he held in his hands. It was his contribution towards a collaborative work he was working on with Deidara. A two-piece set consisting of a delicate vase on top of a matching wooden stool that acted as the stand meant to be put in the corner of a house. The butterflies in the vase looked almost alive as they fluttered and the stool to hold the vase was designed with the image of a magnolia. Once completed, there was no doubt that many will clamor for the chance to buy the fine work of art.

Standing at the door of the shop were two young ladies dressed in robes that were specific to the imperial servants. Once they had his attention, the two girls gave a modest bow of their heads in greetings, "Excuse me, may we speak to Sasori Akasuna?"

Sasori tilted his head in acknowledgement and placed his stool down. He walked up to the two girls, "I am Sasori."

Sakura gave him a look of surprise that was quickly covered with a polite smile.

"We are hear under orders for you to examine this instrument." And she took the cloth bag that was slung on her back. Walking towards the empty table that Sasori gestured to them, she placed the bag down and unwrapped the instrument case within.

Recognizing the box as his own immediately, Sasori opened the case with expert fingers.

"I haven't seen this in over ten years." Sasori spoke, his hands delicately raising the guqin up from its case. It had been well taken care of. The gleam of the wood spoke of the careful polish given to the wood to keep its perfect condition. But even with all the proper maintenance of the instrument, there was no doubt that it was worn down from constant use.

He placed the instrument down in front of the red haired girl, "Play it."

Sakura stammered, her hands in the air to show her innocence, "The instrument belongs to our master, we-" She was cut off by a sharp glare from Sasori.

"I know you're the owner of the instrument. Now play it. I don't like to be kept waiting."

Sakura dropped her act immediately, and with a sigh, pulled the instrument towards her. Expert fingers weaved through the strings as the notes danced through the air around them.

Once her hands ceased, a figure walked in from the back of the shop, "Sasori-danna, since when do you play instruments?" The man walking in paused as he took notice of the two servant girls in front of him, one of whom was lifting her hands from a guqin he had never seen before.

Both girls were very pretty, but the one that had been playing the guqin especially caught his attention. Her green eyes had lifted from the instrument the moment he walked in and met his. At that moment, he felt like his heart had been struck, staring at the emerald orbs that seemed to blaze with a hidden fire.

 _Art_

Her eyes were like an explosion waiting to happen, and he wanted to be the one to set them off.

He studied the rest of her. She was a little short, but her limbs were slender and her waist narrow. The multilayered robes that all women wore covered her from head to toe but hinted at her curves. She had a delicate and small nose with dainty, but naturally pouty lips.

Deidara gave her a small grin. Whoever this servant was, he _will_ get her. Deidara wanted to see her at the peak, the explosion, the moment of ecstasy all women have.

The slight narrowing of her eyes when she saw his face meant that he probably let some of his not so innocent intentions shown. She didn't like it, which was surprising. Most servant girls were putty under his looks, but she seemed like she would take effort to claim.

But he was sure the fire in her eyes when he gets her under the sheets will make everything worth it.

"My name is Deidara," He approached the girl and lifted her hand with his own. Deidara gave her a slight kiss on the back of her hand, "May I know yours?"

The other servant girl pulled her partner away from him, her brown eyes filled with indignation at his blatant interest. But before Tenten could say anything, Sasori spoke up.

"Get away from my client, you pervert." Sasori scowled, "Your robes are still covered in dust. Have some shame to be seen like this."

Deidara looked down on his robes that were decorated with footprints. He really did have to change clothes. So with one wink towards the green-eyed beauty, he returned to the back of the shop.

…

Once the idiot had left the room, Sasori gave a silent sigh of annoyance, and once again studied the instrument on the table. Lifting it up with his long and delicate fingers, he slowly started examining the musical instrument. The strings were a bit worn, and the pegs needed to be replaced. The only maintenance that seemed to be done on the instrument were basic ones meant to upkeep the wood or replace broken strings. To Sasori's satisfaction, the guqin had not been fiddled with by other instrument makers. He never liked others touching his work.

Sasori traced his fingers at the name carved on the bottom of the instrument. The name he carved all those years ago.

"… To think that the first and only guqin I've ever made was for the First Princess. How interesting."

Sakura gave the young woodcarver an appraising eye, "I never knew who my mother asked to make my guqin. To be honest, I was surprised when I first saw that it was you. But now that I've met you, I have to thank you. The guqin is one of my most precious of possessions." And with those words, the smile she gave Sasori was like a blossoming flower.

His face calm as ever, Sasori gave her a small explanation to the hidden question in her words, "I was still an apprentice when your mother walked into the shop my grandmother owned. She saw me making a zither, and requested for me to make a guqin for her daughter's fifth birthday. I was still a no name back then, but your mother was adamant that I would be the one to make it."

Sakura gave him a grateful smile at his words. She knew that he was not a man of many words, and she appreciated his telling.

"My mother had an eye for talent."

"Had?"

"She… passed away shortly after my fifth birthday. The guqin was the last gift I received from her."

The amber eyes raised themselves from the instrument and stared into the emerald pools in front. There was not a single ripple of sorrow in her eyes, but only of calm acceptance.

"I'm sorry," he responded.

"Thank you," her reply was equally simple.

After a brief pause, Sasori turned his eyes back towards the instrument. "I will fix the guqin of everything it needs. Come back in a week."

Sakura thanked him once again and gave a small bow of goodbye.

While Sakura walked away, a calm voice made her pause in her steps.

"Next time, you do not need to come in disguise."

Turning around, her green eyes peeked at the normally solemn face. His lips were like a crescent moon, and seeming to carry a small, yet mysterious, smile.

* * *

Hello my lovely readers!

When I first read the part where Sasori appears in the manga, it was absolutely love at first sight. Until Sasori, Itachi was my Naruto character pet crush. Third was Pein. Those Akatsuki robes just give me nosebleeds. Though when Sasuke put one on, I wanted to cough blood in disgust.

Anyways… Sasori is one of my most favorite characters of all time and the battle between him and Sakura was amazing. I wanted to spend a little more effort on the chapter introducing him, so it took a while. I'm always a sucker for those calm, analytical, type of people, which probably explains my three favorite Naruto character crushes. I can't wait to introduce Pein.

Deidara is just hilarious to write about. I loved writing the part where Sasori bullies him by wiping his shoes on Deidara's robes. Deidara tries to find art in everything and is definitely the one-night stands type of guy. But I'm sure Sakura will turn him around. But until then, it's 100 percent lust.

Just a question for my dear readers who also write: How do you go about writing?

For me, I tend to write down certain parts or conversations that I want to have explicitly. Then I fill in the gaps to transition from part to part. Filling in the gaps take the absolute longest, and the closer I get to complete the chapter, the longer it takes. Finally, I reread the chapter to check for grammar and spelling. It's quite embarrassing when I find repetitive phrases. I'm just curious how others go about writing compared to how I do it. I'm guessing most of you guys write outlines?

Oh, and I forgot to mention that my profile now has bios of the characters in my stories. I'll try to update them whenever I can, and they'll probably contain some spoilers since they're mainly for me to keep track.

Cheers,

WhiteMint

* * *

 _I like replying to all my reviews with each chapter, cause I feel like if I PM you, I'd forget who I PM'ed and just make a mess of it._

silverwolfigther00: They'll find out her identity eventually.

angelofdestiny16: I was barely done with vacation when I updated again.

Guest: TGTS?

Bway-Girl25: I tried watching Dance with the Devils. I couldn't last 10 minutes because of all the singing. I couldn't handle it…

JUCHKO: Thank you for your praises! You're one of my regular reviewers where I keep checking after posting a new chapter to see if you've reviewed yet hahaha!

Cinlayj2: I've been using google translate to read all your reviews, and it's not perfect. I'll take a stab at your question. Madara will appear again next chapter, which will be full of suitors courting her. I'm not sure when I'll introduce Ino and Hinata.

Shoutout to Sakura Hatsu for reviewing each chapter one by one as you read it!

EmeraldHeart12: I'll see how Shisui ends up in the story. But I'm leaning towards him being a suitor. Or at least some good competition.

Oranmflare: So many requests for Toneri haha I'll add him to the maybe section.

Baesaurus: What characters are you interested in adding to the story?

* * *

Suitors: Itachi, Sasori, Deidara, Neji, Madara, Pein, Gaara, Shikamaru, C/Shi

Friendzoned: Haku, Kisame, Kakuzu, Zetsu, Lee, Orochimaru, Jiraiya, Obito, Nagato, Kankuro, Yamato, Hidan, Genma, all parents

Maybe?: Kabuto, Kimimaru, Shisui, Toneri

Team 7 family forever: Sasuke, Naruto, Sai, Kakashi, Yamato

Need to research: Yagura, Utakata


	13. The Average Day

Summary: In the imperial capital of Konoha, it was the norm for men to reign supreme while wives and concubines lived in seclusion like elegant flowers inside a locked garden. However, everything changed when one pink-haired medic entered the capital. SakuraxMulti

* * *

Chapter 13: The Average Day

* * *

Every morning, Sakura woke up to the sunlight entering her room through her newly open windows, courtesy of her handmaiden Tenten. Listening to the sounds of the birds chirping in the morning, greeting the day, slowly brought Sakura to wakefulness as she sat up from her bed.

Her first order of business after waking up was always to take the bath that Tenten prepared. Bathing was a luxury that Sakura had no qualms on taking advantage of. She bathed twice a day, before and after sleeping. While most women bathed with flower petals, Sakura had her own secret blend of herbs and flowers that smelled absolutely spectacular, and was quite good for her skin.

Prince Uchiha Itachi had requested something similar for himself, and she graciously made him his own blend of herbs. She omitted the flowers, and changed the scent to suit him well. In fact, it suited him so well that she heard rumors that he was becoming even more popular with the ladies as of late, to his chagrin. Even though Itachi was known for his poker face, the healing sessions between the two gave Sakura the ability to read his minute tells of emotion. And the times she saw him defending himself from a noblewoman whenever she walked around the palace gave her no end of amusement.

Shaking her head from her thoughts, Sakura got up from the wooden tub and reached for the cotton towel folded on the stool next to her.

"Tenten," Sakura called out, as she wrapped a thin silk robe around herself, "You may now have breakfast prepared."

…

Breakfast was generally accompanied by her closest friend in Konoha, Shikamaru Nara. Though the word 'accompanied' was probably vague. Every morning right before court session, the lazy Nara would visit her to mooch off her food as he slowly woke himself up, half asleep as he chewed on his eggs and rice while Sakura would look on in amusement. One time she even had to get up quickly and move his food out of the way when his head fell down onto the table in an attempt to sleep some more. But with a little help from some tea to energize him, he would leave for the court session right after looking at the go board that was situated on one of her tables.

They had a game going on where each day he visited, he would play a move. Once he left, Sakura would then respond with her own. It was a slow game since each day only had a single play, but the two enjoyed the game since it allowed them to both contemplate intricate ways to get ahead of each other on the go board during their free time.

This morning he was more awake than usual, which wasn't saying much.

"Popular as ever," Shikamaru drawled out, sipping on his tea as he vaguely gestured towards the growing pile of scrolls that were sent to Sakura on a daily basis. They had both finished their meal relatively early and were now sitting at the go board. A few feet away from them were piles and piles of scrolls stacked on a small table nearby.

Sakura shrugged, "I haven't replied to anyone, so I'm surprised that I still get them."

With a scoff, Shikamaru responded, "Nobles can be… Stubborn." That and the fact that the title and status she carried was too good to let go easily.

She gave the Nara an enigmatic smile, "I'll deal with these later."

Her vague words were uninteresting for him, so Shikamaru finished placing his stone and started walking away.

It was time for the court session.

…

One of Sakura's favorite snacks is roasted sweet potatoes. But as the First Princess, it was not a 'proper' food for one of her position. So Sakura had to, once again, make use of Tenten's spare uniform and sneak into the kitchens. A few flattering words later, Sakura walked out of the kitchens with two sweet potatoes that she was currently roasting.

Luckily for her, there was a large supply of kindling readily available. In fact, her kindling increased by the day.

Sakura gave a calm sigh of relaxation as she watched the happily burning fire. She was currently sitting on a bench in her garden a few feet away from her fire. Occasionally, when the fire looked to be getting a bit smaller, she would grab one of the many scrolls next to her and throw it into the flames.

Tenten would also run back and forth between the house and where Sakura sat, increasing the amount of scrolls to be burned.

What kind of scrolls were they? Marriage proposals.

When it was known that Sakura had full choice in deciding her future husband, many clans within Konoha were perplexed on what to do. So they decided to just treat her future marriage like they would with any, except instead of sending the proposals to her guardian, it was sent directly to her. They were more like resumes given to her about the candidate the clan had in store for her, filled with lines on the pros of marrying into the family along with accomplishments that the candidate has performed. Sakura felt like she was receiving requests for a job interview instead of a marriage. And not a single one was from the candidate himself either.

'How sad, not one of these proposals are romantic in any sense. Prince Itachi is probably the only exception, but that's just a façade for his healing sessions.'

And with those thoughts, she gave those marriage proposals a different use: excellent kindling.

Don't get her wrong. She didn't throw them away needlessly.

Sakura had read every single scroll that was given to her and memorized their contents. She wasn't the strongest, or the prettiest, but Sakura Haruno had a damn good photographic memory. Her brain was probably her biggest asset, and it was probably the cause of one of her worst assets: her large forehead. She had grown out of it now, but memories of her childhood growing up in the Haruno clan compound was filled with bullying from other kids, teasing her about the forehead.

Not one to consider things in the negative light, Sakura grew a backbone under Tsunade's guidance and steadily filled the space behind her forehead. She had more than just medical knowledge, but political too. She could play the game just as well as anyone after growing up with the three Sannin, watching them mess around with politicians like toys.

Orochimaru had the Land of Sound twisted around his pinky, Jiraiya controlled an information network so vast that he probably knew all the secrets of the world, and Tsunade had a way about her that made all rulers cower like little kids caught stealing candy.

Which was why even now, being thrown into Konoha's politics like a sacrificial lamb, she lived her life in peace. The nobles were idiots in thinking she was just a young girl who would be swayed at the thought of having a supporting husband to keep her safe. If anything, they were stabbing themselves in the foot by telling her all she needed to know about their clan.

…

Hyuga Neji decided it was time to stop putting off his task. Once his uncle, the Hyuga clan leader, confirmed his status as heir, Neji had a variety of tasks that he had to complete. First of which was his new job as an imperial official of no rank. And the second of which was moving into the main clan house instead of his original location as a branch member.

He had found the change unsettling as the other clan members gave him weird looks at his new status. The clan elders glared at him with unveiled fury while younger branch members looked up to him in awe. He was slightly perplexed on what to do about it, but he ultimately decided to act the same as always. But as he dealt with the change of his life as he knew it, he could no longer delay his first task as clan heir.

It was finally time to woo a princess.

Neji originally wanted to write a letter to the princess, stating his wish to marry her. But listening to the officials gossip to each other about how the princess has yet to respond to anyone who wrote a marriage proposal made him decide to visit her in person. While he didn't want to copy the Uchiha prince, he decided that it was probably the best plan of action, considering that Itachi was the most successful out of everyone trying to court her.

Court had just finished and Madara had dismissed everyone except his highest ranking officials. As Neji walked away from the dragon hall, he contemplated making the detour towards the east end of the palace. That was where Haruno Sakura was staying.

Not one to contemplate matters too much, he decided it was best to finally meet the princess, at least to see the face of the person he had to woo.

As he slowly walked towards the wing of the palace where the First Princess lived in, he was formulating just how he would talk to the princess. Neji was never one to associate himself with women in a casual basis, and given his previous status as just a branch member of the illustrious Hyuga clan, not many women considered him a catch worthy of a chase.

Little did Neji know that he actually had a secret fan base that was exponentially growing after his new position as heir to the Hyuga clan.

By the time he reached the front gates of the building where a pink-haired princess lived in, Neji finally decided to act gentlemanly and with care. It wouldn't do to intimidate her away from his courtship.

Once Neji told the guards his name and position, a guard immediately escorted him into the princess's residence. But instead of walking into the lounge, Neji was slightly surprised to see that he was being led to the back garden.

As they strolled along with winding path, Neji saw a thin trail of smoke.

Fire.

Why wasn't anyone running towards the fire? What if there was something wrong? The questions were just at the tip of his tongue when Neji turned towards the guard. However, the calm look on the guard's face reassured him. It seemed that the cause of the fire did not alarm the guard. And if anything, they were going towards it.

As they turned a bend, Neji could finally see the fire… Along with the source.

Sitting on a bench near the fire, a young woman was lounging. Her back was towards the two of them and all Neji saw was her long pink hair that cascaded down her back. As they neared her, she languidly raised her head around to look at her new visitors.

The guard halted in his steps and bowed to her. While the guard introduced Neji, the young Hyuga took the time to study the princess.

Pink hair and green eyes. Interesting.

Aside from that, Neji didn't see much else of note. If anything, he felt critical of the young lady. Her clothes did not portray her exalted status, and she had no makeup on. Her only jewelry was a pair of simple silver earrings and her robes looked… Common. As if she was the daughter of a lowly noble, and not the Imperial First Princess. And to add to the insult, her lazy posture did not change at all, even when she knew of his status.

She was very different from most women he had ever met, and he was uncomfortable on how to treat her.

Once the guard left, there was silence between the two. Until finally, Neji broke it with a stiff, "Hello."

Sakura looked at the young lord in amusement. Her leisurely morning of watching over the roasting sweet potatoes was interrupted by a new visitor. When the guard was introducing the young Hyuga, she studied his expressions intently.

Curiosity. Surprise. Disdain.

And now it was purposely blank.

She greeted him back, "Hello."

The young man obviously didn't know how to proceed, and Sakura was not planning on making it easier. Turning back towards the fire, she grabbed another scroll and threw it at the fire.

What on earth was she burning? Neji looked at the princess with a small amount of curiosity in his eyes. Since Sakura kept ignoring him, he glanced at the scrolls near her side and picked one up. Since she was burning them all, he doubted she cared if he saw what they were, so he opened one. The contents made him raise one eyebrow in confusion as he looked at the others. They were all marriage proposals.

Seeing what the First Princess had decided to do with all her marriage proposals made the young Hyuga inwardly glad that he didn't do the same. His decision on meeting her personally was the correct one.

But now he had no clue on what to do about her.

…

Itachi walked alone through the garden towards the location the guard told him the princess was at. Since the Uchiha prince was a daily visitor, he didn't need the guards to accompany him inside. As he meandered through the curved paths of the garden, he saw an interesting sight that he normally didn't see.

It was the new Hyuga heir, standing uncomfortably while watching Princess Sakura burn scrolls. He recognized the scrolls immediately, since he's seen many of them personally. The two of them would read the funnier ones together sometimes.

"Your admirers will not be happy." Itachi said as a greeting.

The two looked up and watched the Uchiha walk towards them. Itachi calmly sat down on the bench next to Sakura and picked up one of the many scrolls between them. He also threw it at the fire.

"There is not much to admire, as I'm sure the young Hyuga lord here can tell you," Sakura replied, her voice filled with humor. Neji decided to ignore her small taunt.

"Besides," she continued, "If you're trying to defend my 'admirers', why are you burning the marriage proposals along with me?"

Itachi gave a small smirk, "The act is surprisingly therapeutic. Would you like to try?" Itachi held up a scroll towards the stiff Hyuga.

"No thank you…" Neji responded. He seemed to finally get his bearings together. "Since you have company, Sakura-hime, this lord will bid you goodbye." And with a short bow, the Hyuga left.

Sakura gave the Uchiha a mock glare, "You scared away my suitor!"

Itachi gave a small smile in return. He took the scrolls and sat them on the floor before lying down on the bench, resting his head on her lap, "I was more than courteous with him. If that little bit scares him away, he isn't suited to marrying you."

Sakura childishly stuck her tongue out at him before placing her hand on his forehead, brushing his bangs aside.

Itachi relaxed on the bench as he felt her warm chakra bathe his eyes. All the strain and fatigue was washed away as she healed his headache away and he felt himself falling asleep. It was amazing just how easy it was for him let down his guard around her, and he didn't know what to make of it.

As Sakura looked at the silently sleeping prince, a quote she read somewhere couldn't help but come to her thoughts.

'His elegance is like the dewy bamboo and cool breeze; his graceful bearing is like pearl and jade.'

The words were quite fitting for the Uchiha prince.

When Itachi woke up, he realized that he was no longer lying on Sakura's lap. A scraping sound could be heard as he turned his head around to see the princess kneeling at a pile of ashes, holding a stick and poking around. Slowly, she prodded out two black lumps.

"Would you like a roasted sweet potato?" Sakura brightly looked up at the prince and pointed at one of the lumps at her feet. Nodding his head, Itachi walked his way towards her. She grabbed one of the lumps and broke it in half, revealing the delicate orange flesh within. Itachi pulled a handkerchief from the pocket in his sleeve and accepted the half she offered him. He had grown accustomed to her odd habits and even though he had never eaten a sweet potato in this manner, he copied the princess's actions of eating as they walked towards the pond.

The two sat down on the white marble steps that led to the edge of the pond. Sakura occasionally fed pieces of her sweet potato to the swimming koi. The fish were obviously accustomed to her actions and the waters near her feet were quickly teeming with the brightly colored fish. When the two finished their snack, she suddenly gave a surprised, "Oh!" and her right fist pounded the palm of her other hand.

Sakura turned towards the prince, "I nearly forgot!"

She got up and wiped her hands on a handkerchief, "I have a gift for you."

When Itachi didn't get up fast enough, Sakura grabbed his hand and pulled him up. The Uchiha raised an eyebrow at her excitement. She was so calm earlier, why was she so much in a rush now? But he decided to let the happy princess drag him back to her house.

He sat on a chair as she ran towards her room after yelling a "wait right there!" at him.

And within the next minute, Itachi found himself staring at… something. In his hands.

"I made you a pouch!" Sakura proudly explained.

Now that she told him what it was, Itachi recognized it. The long strap meant to tie the pouch on the belt, along with the drawstrings to close the pouch. He couldn't tell what was embroidered on one side, and the other side had a character on it. He guessed it was the word 'peace' but he wasn't too sure. When he opened the pouch, he could smell a wonderful fragrance from within. It was like mint and fresh grass after a rain.

The small pouch, even though the quality was laughably terrible, genuinely warmed his heart. He could feel a foreign emotion slowly stirring at his heart and he wasn't sure what it was. He'll just think about it later.

"Thank you," Itachi gave Sakura a small smile and she grinned back in return, looking very pleased with herself.

The princess had originally forced him to trust her, but now he genuinely considered her as one of his closest of companions. He stood up and tied the pouch on his belt, where it dangled over this left leg while the golden dragon medallion hung on his right.

Before stepping away, Itachi did something that greatly surprised the princess. He gently took her hand and kissed the back of it.

"I'll be sure to get you a good return gift."

And with a small smirk at her suddenly pink cheeks, Itachi turned away and left.

…

Tenten felt overjoyed at her mistress's current actions. When Sakura had finished her lunch, she called Tenten to prepare a bath and a fine set of clothes. Normally, Sakura preferred wearing normal robes and dresses that were decent, but not befitting her position. Tenten tried everything in her power to convince the princess to wear something better, but Sakura was stubborn. So Tenten resigned herself to being unable dress her mistress in the fine jewelry and makeup she preferred to give her.

But today was different. For once, Sakura had asked Tenten to "decorate me like a princess" and the maid was more than happy to oblige. Sakura had also told the guards that she planned to travel to a location in the city, and they should prepare a carriage for her.

It was a little sad how excited the servants were to cater to those orders. Even though all the servants and guards under Sakura were used to her odd ways of walking around and independently performing her own tasks, they felt a sense of satisfaction of finally performing jobs that they should normally be doing. During the brief time serving the princess, every single servant and guard slowly became her loyal followers.

Maybe it was the smile that she gave each one of them, and the way she thanked them all each time they did their job. Maybe it was how she remembered each and every one of their names and made sure that they were all treated properly. In fact, when she found out that some of them had relatives that were struck from the epidemic, she made sure to personally make medicine for them to deliver to that relative. But ultimately, they all wanted to serve the princess to the best of their ability. But it didn't help that she almost never ordered them to do anything. Preferring to go out by herself to do them. So when the time came for them to finally be able to do something, they jumped at the opportunity.

Once Sakura was decked from head to toe in fine silks and jewelry, her face covered in makeup, she walked out to her carriage. She raised an eyebrow at her sheepish guards. The carriage that was waiting at the gate for her was not her usual one, and was a fancier version that would normally be used in ceremonial occasions. The red wood was polished so brightly that it shone, and a fine crystal curtain covered the front of the carriage. Gold was gilded along the edges and pulling the carriage were two spotless white horses brushed till their fur gleamed in the sunlight.

The carriage driver was even dressed in his finest uniform as he gave the confused princess a bashful explanation, "Hime-sama never wants to dress up so we servants may have gotten a little excited…"

Sakura turned towards Tenten and realized with a start that even Tenten had changed into a better servant's outfit. What was wrong with her servants? It was almost as if Sakura was about to go to an extravagant party!

"Geez everyone… We're only going to a shop," Sakura gave them an exasperated look, but the smile on her face ruined the stern attitude she was trying to adopt.

When she got onto the carriage with Tenten, the guards cheerfully waved her off.

Really, her servants got a little _too_ happy when they finally get to serve her.

…

Sasori's day at the shop was strangely peaceful and quiet, with little to no customers visiting. He enjoyed the quiet as he slowly carved the face of a small doll. It was a commissioned order. A noble wanted to give his daughter a doll for her upcoming fourth birthday. The lack of customers allowed him a large amount of time to work on the doll.

But sadly enough, a quiet start usually foreshadowed a coming storm. Something that Sasori happened to forget.

The tinkling of the bell at the shop door made him look up to see his next customer, and the sight gave him a pause. Sasori was rarely surprised, but today he was.

Standing at his door was a figure dressed so immaculately that she looked as if she walked from a banquet with the gods themselves.

Haruno Sakura looked every inch the First Princess that she was. Her shining pink hair had been braided loosely and hung over her right shoulder. Large white roses were added into her hair along the braid with gold pins inlaid with pearls.

Her robes were a light cream color with a golden phoenix embroidered on it flying through the clouds. The tail of the phoenix even used the tail feathers from an albino peacock sewn in to give the image even more life. Along her arms was a sheer golden muslin shawl that gave her an ethereal appearance.

On top of her head was a gold circlet that had a large and glittering diamond centered on her forehead. And dangling from her ears were probably the largest pearls Sasori has ever seen in his life. When she moved her hands, golden bangles inlaid with more diamonds tinkled together with white jade ones as if they were bells.

Her eyes were lined with black to further illuminate the large green eyes and there was a hint of gold in the corners to match the jewelry. The blush on her cheeks gave her a demure appearance, and her lips were also reddened and lined immaculately. Her face was full of dignity that if someone told Sasori that she was the empress, he probably wouldn't be surprised.

At that moment, the sight of her was ethereal and timeless like the moon, and it took his breath away.

A small smirk graced her perfect lips, "You told me to not come in disguise, so I decided to come bearing my cumbersome title."

Her voice was like the tinkling of silver bells, shaking Sasori from his reverie. He slowly shook his head and walked towards the princess.

"Sakura-hime, it is a pleasure to welcome you to this servant's humble shop," his words elegantly left his mouth as he knelt down on one knee and picked up her hand. He kissed one of her rings and looked up at her eyes. A devastatingly handsome smirk was on his face.

…

Her dinnertime was a surprise affair when she was suddenly notified that the emperor Madara was coming to her place to eat with her. As Tenten once again fussed over her clothes and makeup, Sakura quietly let the maid do her job as she listened to the servants running in and out of her dining room area to set up the area to be fit for his majesty to eat at. Furniture was dusted and polished all over again, as if it wasn't spotless already, and the dreadfully expensive ceramics that Sakura had to use for herself were replaced with ones inlaid with gold that were even _more_ expensive.

As she watched the servants worry over the dinner preparations, she let her mind wander to the predicament. Sakura was unsure on how to treat her sudden visitor. The last time she saw the emperor, the man had stolen her first kiss. A lesser woman would have either fallen in love with the handsome – Sakura begrudgingly admitted – emperor, or cried and moped in fear at being unmaritable, but Sakura was not that type of woman. She had taken it in stride, and shoved the memory to the back of her mind. The sudden work needed to cure the epidemic along with learning as much as possible about Konoha's nobility had made her too busy to think about him.

And now the issue she had ignored was coming to visit her for dinner.

But Tsunade did not raise her to be indecisive so Sakura made up her mind quickly. In the end, she decided to treat the emperor with formality, and ignore the kiss they shared previously.

When Madara finally arrived, Sakura gave him a polite bow and they walked to the dinner table that was lavishly set up with the finest foods the cooks could make.

As they ate in silence, Sakura noted that he looked a little tired. Stress maybe? He didn't say anything aside from greeting her and she spent the time while they were eating to peek at the man in front of her from time to time.

'If he wants money, he has money. If it's looks, he is without a doubt handsome beyond compare. Power, he has in excess. But what is it that he truly wants?'

But Sakura's silent contemplation of the emperor in front of her was stopped when he spoke up, "Did you like browsing around Konoha?"

His sudden question shocked Sakura. She wasn't sure how to respond. Was he talking about her earlier action of visiting the shop for her guqin today?

When he noticed Sakura's silence, the emperor then turned towards his personal servant and Tenten, and waved them to leave.

Once the two were alone in the room, Madara's cold and blank face gave a small smirk, "You forget who assigned the Anbu guards."

Sakura, however, was still cautious and gave a neutral answer, "The marketplace is lively, and the common people are very happy. I did not see much beggars, Konoha is indeed a prosperous place."

Madara finished his food and leaned back on his chair. He held a cup of tea and slowly sipped on it.

"I have been busy dealing with all the court officials that have now come back to their posts after you've cured them. I was not a good host."

Was that his version of an apology? Not that Sakura minded being given free rein to do her own thing.

"You're servants have been more than capable. My time here has been wonderful." Sakura responded politely. She was unsure of how to handle the emperor, and decided to stay as polite as possible.

Madara finished the rest of his tea, and got up. "When I have more free time, I will be able to eat dinner with you more often."

Frequent dinners with one of the most talented and ruthless emperors Konoha has ever seen in history did not bode well for Sakura.

Madara walked out of the dining room, and Sakura quickly got up to escort him out.

"In seven days' time, on the night of the full moon, there will be a banquet in your honor." Madara turned around and gave her one last smirk, "A tailor will visit you tomorrow to make your dress."

* * *

Hello my dear readers,

I apologize for the long wait in the update. I'm currently busy with the Christmas holiday of visiting friends and family and I don't have the leisure to just sit down for hours to write the chapters for The Imperial Princess. I've been working on writing whenever I have free time though so I hope you guys don't mind! I thought I'd have a chapter showing all the suitors so far (except Deidara), did you all like it? It's the longest chapter I've every written! Next few chapters, I will introduce more suitors. Pein and Shisui, more specifically. I'm not sure how I'll do it, but they're next on the list. Along with Gaara later on.

Just curious, how do you guys want Gaara? He'll be sometime after the banquet. Should I introduce him as the bloodthirsty guy that will turn normal as the story progresses? Or the proper Kazekage Gaara? I'm leaning more towards the bloodthirsty one so that there's tension between Sakura and him when they first meet :D

The next 'arc' will be the banquet!

Cheers,

WhiteMint

* * *

Thank you all for your kind reviews. I'm too tired to respond to all of them at once like I usually do, but I really appreciate everyone who takes the time to give me a review. To answer people vaguely, I'll think about adding Yagura to the mix, but it'll take some time. You'll be able to see Kabuto when I finish writing the side story of Sakura's childhood growing up under the three Sannin, and he will be strictly a friend. A guqin is a ancient Chinese stringed instrument, you can google it to see what it looks like. If you're curious on how the people are dressed, you can google "ibuki satsuki artbook". The art is amazing and it inspires my writing. A few blogs that translate Chinese novels would post images similar to these along with the story and I wish I could do the same on fanfiction.

Even though I didn't reply to you each one by one, I hope you dears will still review! They warm my heart (and motivate me to type faster) ;D


	14. The Preparations

Summary: In the imperial capital of Konoha, it was the norm for men to reign supreme while wives and concubines lived in seclusion like elegant flowers inside a locked garden. However, everything changed when one pink-haired medic entered the capital. Ancient Chinese AU SakuraxMulti

* * *

Chapter 14: The Preparations

* * *

She sat among the willows overlooking the pond, and mindlessly tapped on the water with her graceful fingers.

Round and round the ripples formed, each circle slowly fading as it grew larger. But the cold of the water did little to break the young princess from her reverie.

"Sakura-hime," a voice sounded out from behind her, making Sakura lift her green gems up from staring into the watery depths.

The man gazed back at her calmly. Dressed in a simple robe of dark grey, the shine of the golden dragon medallion glittered all the more in the sunlight. His robes were casual, instead of the court attire, and in one hand was a black folding fan that he leisurely used on himself.

"The imperial highness, Prince Shisui" she replied in response. Unsure of what to make of the man in front of her. Her words were proper, yet they held much weight.

Imperial, was the blood of the Uchihas, flowing through his veins.

Highness, the title granted upon him by the dragon ruler himself.

Prince, to signify how close he was to the throne itself, yet so far away.

While she was good friends with Prince Itachi, Prince Shisui was one she had never spoken to… Not since the day she had to treat Itachi.

"Are you busy?" Shisui asked out of politeness, even though the young princess was obviously doing nothing.

Sakura gave a small smile in response, "A tailor will visit me sometime today to prepare my clothes for the banquet. My day is open until then."

"Then…" Shisui gestured at the marble steps with his fan at the edge of the pond where she was sitting, "May I join you?"

Nodding, she scooted a little to the side to allow the steps to accommodate the both of them.

The air was quiet except for the occasional chirping of the birds in the air.

"… I wanted to thank you," Shisui started.

Sakura glanced towards the prince, and saw his black eyes boring into hers.

"For what?" She enquired.

The Uchiha prince sighed and looked away into the lotus blossoms, "For saving Itachi."

She didn't know how to respond. Imperial families were different from all others in the fact that there was little to no love between each other. It was the norm.

When a prince is born from the emperor, wives will immediately fight each other so that their son will become the next in line and the bitter struggle is filled with nothing but bloodshed and backstabbing. Brothers will generally grow up to hate each other, undermining one another in every possible way in order to gain favor from the emperor.

The ascendance of an emperor is generally accompanied by the death of all male siblings in order to stabilize the throne.

It was accepted as fact.

Shisui smiled a little at the carefully blank yet questioning look on Sakura's face.

"We grew up together, Itachi and I." Shisui spoke, as a hint of nostalgia crossed his eyes, "Ever since young, we were both geniuses of the clan. We trained together, played together, and worked together. Even though we were cousins, we were closer than brothers."

Sakura kept silent as she listened to the words that she was sure not many outside the Uchiha clan knew about.

"We thought our lives were set for us. Itachi would become the next clan head, while I would become the next chief of police. There was no competition at all." Shisui gave a chuckle that had little mirth, "Until Uchiha Madara gave us both the title of prince, heirs to the throne."

How was she to reply to this? "Based on what I know…" Sakura approached cautiously, "The both of you are well qualified to become the next emperor."

"The emperor is barely older than me," Shisui mouth curved into a wry smile, "When he's on his deathbed, I will be close to mine. He only gave us the titles to get the officials off his back. One day, he'll finally pick a wife and the day a son is born, both Itachi and I will be ripped on our titles."

Shisui played with the golden medallion hanging on his belt, "I've never wanted to become emperor and I still don't want it. This is only a temporary title, given by a whim."

The honesty in his eyes only made the knowledge of his family's opposite thoughts so much more painful for her to bare.

The words took effort to come out, "Why do you tell me this?"

She didn't know him at all. This was only the second time they ever spoke, and yet Shisui told her so much.

The prince gave her a wide smile, and Sakura was no longer looking at an Imperial Prince, but just Shisui himself.

"Itachi trusts you, so I will do the same. Based on rumors, maybe one day you'll be sister-in-law." Shisui winked and laughed as Sakura's face turned as red as a cherry. Her embarrassed retorts fell to deaf ears as the two turned from prince and princess into little kids bickering.

After a while, Sakura gave up and propped her elbows on the steps. A peaceful silence descended upon them as Shisui copied her movements while leisurely fanning himself.

"I just realized," Sakura giggled, her voice filled with innocent laughter and joy.

Shisui glanced at the princess, his fanning paused.

"When the architect designed these marble steps, the last thing he probably imaged was for it to be the seating area for the Imperial Prince and Princess."

Shisui studied the steps and trees around them. It was obviously meant to be used as a fancy dock of sorts to allow for ease in getting onto small boats and rowing around the pond. But there was no boat around.

It certainly wasn't meant for a prince and princess to lounge around on.

"If the architect saw us now, he'd probably kowtow a thousand times, saying that his steps are certainly not worthy enough for us to sit on." Shisui responded, a relaxed grin on his face as he stared at the koi swimming in the pond.

He hadn't felt this relaxed in ages.

…

It was itchy.

Sakura shivered.

And cold.

Dressed in nothing but her negligee, Sakura tried to suppress the goosebumps that were scattered throughout her body. The measuring rope gently caressed her waist as the tailor charted down the different numbers.

Her room was like an explosion of colors with silk cloths lying everywhere. Tenten was busy running around, fetching all sorts of materials the tailor wanted from the large luggage she had brought.

"All right, that should be enough measurements," the tailor finally stopped, putting down the rope that had hugged every inch of Sakura's body.

Giving a large sigh of relief, Sakura reached towards her robes before being stopped by a firm "No."

Piercing red eyes made Sakura give a pause, as she guiltily looked back at the tailor in question.

Looking at the beautiful woman, Sakura couldn't help but think of her name: crimson of the evening sun.

When Kurenai Yuhi first came into the princess's courtyard, Sakura was filled with dread at meeting the tailor that Madara had informed her about the night before. But one look at the tailor left Sakura in awe. The first thing Sakura had noticed was the piercing red eyes. However, the lack of tomoes and the lack of an Uchiha surname gave reason for her to believe that the eyes were natural, and not the effects of the Sharingan.

And the minute the woman walked in, Sakura and Tenten were pulled into obeying every word the tailor gave. Even though the fair-skinned woman with long black hair gave a calm and sisterly vibe, there was a feeling about her that made people naturally obey her.

Which was why Sakura was currently dressed in her undergarments while being inspected from head to toe.

"There is no time to waste, we need to make your clothes for the banquet immediately, and the emperor has high expectations." Kurenai explained, as she grabbed one of her red silks and placed it near Sakura. She studied the hue in comparison to Sakura's complexion before putting it down for another.

"What jewelry do you plan on wearing?" Kurenai asked while searching though her fabrics.

Sakura looked everywhere except at the tailor.

"Sakura-hime doesn't have any jewelry except these," Tenten supplied, holding a small jewelry box at the tailor.

Deep down, Sakura wanted to cry. Tenten you traitor!

"…" Kurenai stared at the pitiful amount of jewelry in the box in silence.

"Tomorrow we're going shopping."

Sakura gave a groan.

…

"Seriously, what do people see in her? Some country girl comes to Konoha and now she's the talk of the city." Ino complained as she angrily took a bite of the delicate pastry, as if it was the source of her woes.

Trying to calm down the venting blonde girl, Hinata raised her hands in a placating gesture, "She's the First Princess, so of course people will talk about her."

"But that's only because of the emperor's generosity! Heavens know why his highness suddenly felt generous, since he normally is quite the opposite. If it wasn't for him, the woman would be the same status as us! Even lower since her clan has fallen! Certainly not something as high as First Princess." And with that, Ino gave a final "hmph!" as she sipped her floral tea in a very unladylike manner.

Hinata drank her own tea in a much more delicate way, as she looked at her friend in pity while ignoring the words that bordered on treason. It was a good thing they were alone at the moment. The young Yamanaka daughter was normally not like this, and generally loved listening to the gossip of Konoha. But the presence of the sudden First Princess changed everything, and now no one talked about anything except the First Princess and her many, many, suitors.

Ino Yamanaka was a woman that was born for gossip. As a Yamanaka, she was exceptionally good at reading micro expressions, as good as her father really. Which was a talent that gave Inoichi Yamanaka his high position in court and as an interrogator. And her skill to tell when people were lying gave her the excellent ability to get to the meat of the matter with all gossip within Konoha.

When Ino first heard about the Princess, she was ecstatic about the new juicy gossip. She wanted nothing more than to meet the girl in question and find out everything about her, especially about the _kiss_ Sakura shared with emperor.

But as time went on, Haruno Sakura was the only topic of discussion for everyone in the city. Even one of her close friends, Shikamaru, talks about her! And Shikamaru usually didn't talk about any one! Even though Shikamaru was extremely good with hiding his facial expressions – caused by growing up with Ino – the young blonde girl knew that her Nara friend was falling in love with the princess, and it irked her to no end.

So when Ino found out from Hinata that the Hyugas had declared Neji as clan heir – probably in order to pursue a certain princess – Ino couldn't help but notice the contemplating looks her father gave her. No doubt the man wanted to try something similar, but there were no competent male cousins that were worthy of being clan heir. Ino's ability to read facial expressions backfired when she realized that deep down, her father was starting to wish that Ino was born as a boy! Just so that the Yamanakas could throw Ino into race.

To pursue.

That.

 **Haruno Sakura**.

That realization had been the last straw for the delicate(?) girl, and now she was filled with nothing but loathing for the First Princess.

The only bright side to things was that the elder Uchiha – Itachi – was the only pursuing Sakura. Not Sasuke, whom Ino had an obvious infatuation for.

"Well…" Hinata gave hesitant smile, "At least we'll finally be able to meet her during the banquet that the emperor is hosting."

…

 _In a small teahouse, located in the Land of the Rivers._

"It's close to that time already? The tournament." Orochimaru asked, twirling the empty dango stick in his fingers before throwing it at the wall. A circle of dango sticks were being drawn onto the poor wooden wall.

"Ahh… The time when all martial artists are at their most passionate state. Fighting for glory and pride, while fair maidens watch with hearts in their eyes." Jiraiya grinned, rubbing his chin in contemplation, "It's the setting of many of my books. Quite popular with readers."

Ignoring Jiraiya, Tsunade gave her own thoughts to the tournament, as she studied the dwindling pile of dango that originally sat in the middle of their small table. "This year it's held in Konoha right? Do you think Sakura will attend?"

"She'll certainly find a way to sneak in," Jiraiya grinned, grabbing another stick of dango, "I wouldn't expect any less of her."

"I guess I'll make Kabuto go too. At least to keep her company." Orochimaru blandly replied, "Maybe I'll even sneak a look."

"We should all go visit Sakura, to cheer her on," Jiraiya slipped a look at Tsunade's face while Orochimaru watched from the corner of his eye. Konoha was a topic the three never really talked about, since Tsunade was so averse to going back to that city.

The blonde woman sighed, as she grabbed her own stick of dango. "How do you think she is now?"

Even though she never admitted it, Tsunade missed her little student and daughter.

"I doubt she's having any issues" Orochimaru scoffed, "We've trained her well."

For once Jiraiya kept quiet, and just gave Tsunade a reassuring pat in the arm.

"The reserved and confined lifestyle of a young noble lady…" Tsunade spoke, "I hope she can get used to it."

* * *

Hi everyone,

Sorry about the lack of updates. I've been super busy with being a bridesmaid for a wedding and right when I get home, I end up getting sick with the cold. So here I am, with my laptop in front of me and a large box of tissues, trying to think of what to write. The only motivation I have is reading all your kind reviews, making it worthwhile for me to type even in this condition. After a while of blank staring, I decided to just write bits and pieces of the pre-banquet and hope it all connects.

Even though I told you guys I would introduce Shisui, I was never really sure how to do it. Writing him was my main delay in updating. But in the middle of trying to get over the cold by staying in bed reading light novels, I finally cracked and wrote out when Sakura finally meets Shisui. In almost all fanfics that I read with Shisui, he's always the joking wingman type of guy. But the Naruto wiki makes him seem more serious, like a hot blooded version of Itachi that's extremely loyal. So this is my spin on Shisui, and I hope you guys like it.

Also, bloodthirsty Gaara it is!

I had a lot of fun writing Ino and Hinata. So I hope you all like the introduction of the noble girls! And for the Sannin, I ended up writing them in a similar manner to the side-story that I'm also working on (so it's like a sneak peak almost).

Finally, just curious… Is there a chat group for people who read Naruto fanfics? I mean, there's chat rooms for everything: games, online forums, twitch streams, etc. But if there is one with people who read/write Naruto fanfics, I'd join at least to bounce around ideas. If I have to, I'd even make one for fun haha!

Cheers,

WhiteMint

* * *

Guest: The setting for the story is ancient Chinese. And I've read many light novels and watched many dramas with the setting so I'm pretty confident on my world building. I had originally thought it was pretty obvious (dragon emperor, guqin, majong, the cover art, etc) but if you don't have any knowledge of it, you probably think I'm inconsistent. Read my previous author's note if you want images on how they're dressed. I add a bit of Japanese terms into it to make it easier on the readers, but it will be predominately ancient Chinese with a few twists. For example, Suna will be more Arabic.

I love you all for your kind reviews! I'm sorry this chapter was delayed but I don't want to introduce characters half-assed and I spend a lot of thinking on Shisui to determine how I wanted him. I'll work as fast as possible on the next chapter!

* * *

Suitors: Itachi, Sasori, Deidara, Neji, Madara, Pein, Gaara, Shikamaru, C/Shi

Friendzoned: Haku, Kisame, Kakuzu, Zetsu, Lee, Orochimaru, Jiraiya, Obito, Nagato, Kankuro, Yamato, Hidan, Genma, all parents

Maybe?: Kabuto, Kimimaru, Shisui, Toneri, Kiba, Yagura

Team 7 family forever: Sasuke, Naruto, Sai, Kakashi, Yamato

Need to research: Utakata


	15. The Prime Minister

Summary: In the imperial capital of Konoha, it was the norm for men to reign supreme while wives and concubines lived in seclusion like elegant flowers inside a locked garden. However, everything changed when one pink-haired medic entered the capital. Ancient Chinese AU SakuraxMulti

* * *

Chapter 15: The Prime Minister

* * *

It had been a long and difficult week.

Every single day, Kurenai visited Sakura's place to work on the dress for the banquet. Madara had demanded perfection, and the seamstress was using all her best efforts to perform it.

While chatting with the seamstress during the never ending fittings, Sakura learned just now special her personal tailor was.

Kurenai Yuhi was the finest seamstress and tailor in the city of Konoha, and probably the best in the Land of Fire. She was originally exclusive to the imperial family but when Madara started his reign, the hundreds of concubines that graced the imperial harem for the previous emperor were either formally given poisoned wine, demoted to commoner status, or sent back to their families.

And Kurenai had found herself with a lot of free time.

Compared to hundreds of women constantly ordering new dresses. There were only a few men left to be considered "The Imperial Family".

Thus, with a bittersweet feeling, Kurenai allowed all her assistants to go and open their own shops and make their own fortunes. Since they were apprentices of the famed Kurenai, jobs were easy for them to get.

Aside from the emperor, the other men of the imperial family were not picky with their clothes and hated fittings, so they required barely any work aside from the occasional measurements for new robes. With more time on her hands than ever, Kurenai lived a peaceful life with her husband and even gave birth to a beautiful daughter. But even so, there were times that she wished she could make the beautiful robes and dresses for the hidden beauties of the imperial palace. She missed making beautiful dresses.

And then came the Imperial First Princess.

Kurenai's life of peace and quiet ended with probably one of her biggest projects yet and now she was working like never before.

The princess had wonderful proportions and a naturally exotic coloring. Upon meeting the famous First Princess of Konoha, Kurenai was escatic to work on her new project, even with the last minute assignment.

Her bare bones of a closet stunned Kurenai and after the dress for the banquet was completed, Kurenai swore to make more robes for the princess. But now was the time to complete the looks so that Sakura looked the best with her dress.

Even though Sakura was not a stranger to makeup, Kurenai was heads above heels in ability with makeup so now Sakura was sitting quietly in her new dress while Kurenai decorated her like a doll.

Dipping the brush in the red coloring, the color was painted onto Sakura's lips, making them look like bright cherries.

"You're all done, Hime-sama," Kurenai stated proudly, looking at Sakura's transformation.

"Thank you for everything, Kurenai-san." Sakura gave the seamstress a cheery smile. Even though Kurenai had repeatedly told Sakura that a '-san' was not necessary considering their ranks, Sakura was adamant about being respectful because she was younger than the seamstress. Over the time they spent together, Sakura had already considered Kurenai something of an older sister figure. One that you should always obey, even though Sakura was the princess while Kurenai was a commoner.

"Sakura-hime, you look wonderful," Tenten commented, looking over Sakura's attire with happiness.

Sakura gave a wry grin, "Kurenai-san is an expert here. Anyone can look beautiful under her hands. With all the makeup and clothes, I doubt I still look the same as I usually do. You look very good yourself Tenten."

The maid blushed a little, subconsciously patting her robes to smooth out the non-existent wrinkles. The tomboy maid was wearing makeup with the help of Kurenai and wore elegant robes meant for servants during celebratory occasions. Her expression was like that of a shy maiden.

The action and look was caught by Sakura as the princess ruined the elegant makeup with her teasing smirk, "Oh? Are you trying to impress someoneTenten?"

"Wha? No!" The blushing maid furiously retorted.

Kurenai shook her head as the scene quickly transitioned from princess and maid into interrogator and the guilty prisoner.

…

"I've been ordered to escort you to the banquet."

Ahh, it was the man who read aloud the imperial decree. The Prime Minister.

Even though Sakura had seen him multiple times, this was the first time she got a chance to study him properly. Even though she didn't look like it at the time, she had been way too nervous during her first meeting with the emperor to look around much.

His face was blank and still, showing no expression.

That's right, even when all the officials were shocked by the imperial decree that Sakura had brought, Pein was the only one that didn't seem surprised aside from Madara.

The Prime Minister had orange hair that was messy and spiked up. Cool brown eyes stared back at her green emeralds and Sakura couldn't help but notice that he was incredibly handsome.

This damn city, why were all the male nobles so good looking? It only made her feel worse about her own caked up appearance.

Sakura swore that if someone put Itachi in women's apparel and makeup, his beauty would be famed across the country.

The sun was slowly setting, basking the palace with a rosy hue. A cool breeze swirled around the courtyard and the dimming skylight framed the two nobles almost like a painting. But the blank face of the male and the polite face of the female would give anyone who saw the lovely scene no small amount of surprise.

"Then I'll thank you in advance," Sakura gave a small curtsey and continued, "Since I've never formally introduced myself. My name is Haruno Sakura."

The man in question also bowed, though it was a little stiff, "Haruno-san, my name is Pein."

"Sakura."

"I beg your pardon?" he asked.

The small upward tilt of her lips seemed almost non-existent, "I prefer being called by my first name."

"… Very well, Sakura-hime." Pein corrected, not questioning her reasoning.

The two started walking away from Sakura's courtyard, the entourage of personal servants following them. The travel was silent, but not the pleasant type. And for once, Sakura looked forward to the noise of the banquet.

…

The first time he saw her, he approved of her attire.

Even though he held the title of Imperial Prime Minister and was one of the richest men in the entire country, Pein was still a modest person. His childhood growing up in the slums had made him careful with money – though not nearly as frugal as a certain treasurer – and he generally disdained of being lavish with his money like most nobles tend to be.

Being as it was, when he first watched Haruno Sakura walk down the court hall to kneel before the emperor, he distinctively noticed her minimal amount of jewelry and makeup.

Even though he approved of how she dressed compared to most noble women, he thought nothing of it. Maybe she was just a poor minor noble who couldn't afford more. A common occurrence.

It wasn't until Pein read out the imperial decree that the young lady had casually – stupidly maybe – stored in her waist pouch did he realize that she was anything but a minor noble. But a title was a title, and Pein didn't think much of it.

Even when all the officials in court were brainstorming on a obtaining a marriage alliance with the princess, Pein just scoffed at their feeble ideas.

" _You're too apathetic in public, no woman is going to fall for you at this rate. Your face is a waste." his childhood friend Konan would tease him._

" _Maybe one day he'll end up falling head over heels in love, and then we can all have a good laugh at his misery," Konan's husband and Pein's best friend, Nagato would respond._

" _Never going to happen," was Pein's annoyed response. Only in front of his two closest friends did he ever show emotions on his face._

Little did he know that those words would come back and bite him.

Dressed in elegant but simple chrome robes, Pein had gone to Madara to see if the emperor needed any tasks done before the banquet started.

"Pick up the princess and make sure she gets to the banquet on time."

The helpful manner had landed Pein with the job of a servant, and it was with a less than pleasant mood that surrounded Pein when he trekked the distance towards the courtyard where the princess was staying.

When he stepped past the gates, the back of the princess was towards him and Pein noted that her clothes screamed of money. Even though he didn't like it as much, the banquet was one held in her honor so her attire was necessary.

However, she soon turned around to look at her new visitor.

And the sight he came upon shocked him beyond all disbelief.

The long pink strands of hair that had been tied in a simple ponytail the first time he saw her was now up in an elegant bun that looked like a large flower. Her robes were of a light red that matched the sunset and the pale gold embroidery in the light of the dimming sky gave her an almost ethereal appearance. As if she would disappear at any moment.

She was an angel, a fairy that escaped the flower gardens in heaven.

Pein was never one to acknowledge the existence of gods, but if she told him at that moment that she was a celestial being from heaven, he probably would have believed her.

The princess was walking towards him.

It took all his willpower to keep his face calm even though the heart in his chest was beating rapidly.

Her deep green eyes showed confusion, but her flawless face was still gentle and polite. The red color of her robes reminded him of wedding attire and Pein mentally slapped himself to think straight.

Her clothes were light red robes, not the scarlet for weddings.

Finally, he managed to cough out the words he wanted to say, though he sounded terse from nervousness.

"I've been ordered to escort you to the banquet."

* * *

Hello my dear readers,

This chapter is a short one, and the next will come out soon~

I wanted to end it with Pein and Sakura's meeting, since any more would destroy the romance between the two. I bet no one expected Pein to be the one to fall in love the fastest out of all the suitors haha!

The scene was inspired by the meeting between Natsume and Ema in Brother's Conflict, cause of the orange hair and I feel like their personalities are similar. It also doesn't help that Natsume was the brother that I shipped the most.

The next bits of the banquet is already being written and it'll be more comical and casual.

I've also written a bit of a flashback between Madara and Pein, but I don't know where to add it. Probably sometime after the banquet.

Cheers,

WhiteMint


	16. The Banquet

Summary: In the imperial capital of Konoha, it was the norm for men to reign supreme while wives and concubines lived in seclusion like elegant flowers inside a locked garden. However, everything changed when one pink-haired medic entered the capital. Ancient Chinese AU SakuraxMulti

* * *

Chapter 16: The Banquet

* * *

Extravagant, was the first feeling Sakura got when she reached the venue for the banquet.

And ridiculously large, the stunned princess realized, as she stared at all the round tables that were set up and decorated. There was even a large stage in the front for guests to enjoy the musicians and performers.

Since the weather was perfect that day, the banquet was an outdoors event where guests would enjoy the sunset during the banquet and end the night admiring the full moon. The area was immense and obviously designed for events such as this.

"Is the entire nobility of Konoha invited to this?"

"Yes."

Sakura didn't realize that she had vocalized her thoughts until she got a response from the Prime Minister.

"This way," Pein gestured towards the large rectangular table in the front, with three seats available. The middle one was much more extravagant than the other two, and Sakura surmised that it was meant for the emperor.

Instead of sitting at the table, Pein stopped just to the side and gestured for the servants to leave.

At Sakura's questioning glance, Pein finally forced himself to look at the princess and answer her unvocalized question, "We will wait here for when his highness comes."

"Ok," Sakura nodded and gave a slight smile. She was glad that the Prime Minister – while a little cold – did not seem to judge her based on her confusion on what to do at the banquet. Humming a little lightly to herself, Sakura watched the large venue slowly fill up as more and more nobles came into the palace in their finest.

If she had been paying attention to the person next to her, she would have noticed a hint of red along the man's cheeks.

Once the venue was packed, and each table surrounded with their designated guests, large brass gongs sounded, silencing all.

The emperor had arrived.

As Madara strolled towards the venue, all the people there, whether they were nobles or servants, started to kneel onto the ground, their faces facing the floor.

Sakura struggled to do the same, but a helping hand from Pein allowed her to get to her knees.

" **Greetings to your majesty. May your highness live for tens of thousands of years."**

Everyone spoke at once, the chant vibrating through the air.

Silent footsteps were all that could be heard as Madara finally sat down at his designated seat.

"You may rise," the stern voice of the emperor broke the silence.

Only when Pein helped Sakura back up did she finally get a look at the emperor, and that one glance gave her an immediate rush of emotions.

First was awe at his confident expression.

Second was embarrassment because the man in question crossed eyes with her, amusement evident in his royal features.

And finally, but covering up all other emotions, was annoyance.

At this moment, Sakura realized what Kurenai meant when she said "The emperor gave me explicit instructions on your dress."

They matched. Her and Madara.

The golden embroidery of her robes was the exact same color as the main fabric of his, and the belt and lining of his robes were the same red as hers.

A dragon was curled around his robes while a phoenix flew in the skirt of her robes. It was clear that Madara wanted all of the nobility to see the claim he had on her, and it annoyed Sakura to no end.

Shaking herself out of her reverie, Sakura could feel her eyebrow twitch as she saw the wholeheartedly amused grin on Madara's face.

The demonic emperor waved casually at the seat on his right, "Sit."

She wasn't a dog! Sakura gave a faint sniff in indignation but walked to her seat regardless. In front of the emperor, all humans were dogs.

When she sat down, Madara looked over her attire, a feeling of satisfaction in his eyes. "You look good."

"Your majesty is too polite," Sakura responded.

She was very careful around the dragon emperor, and every word that came out of her mouth around him was courteous and polite.

Madara leaned towards her ear and whispered, "If you marry this king, you would dress like this every day."

Sakura stiffened as Madara's hot breath washed over her ears and her cheeks subconsciously turned pink at his words. That little fact did not go unnoticed by Madara as he gave a small chuckle before sitting back up to talk to Pein.

It seemed that he wasn't waiting for a reply, Sakura inwardly breathed a sigh of relief.

…

Her cheeks hurt terribly, and it made her curse her softheartedness.

After sitting at the table with the emperor, the man didn't say a single word to her the entire time. After giving a short speech welcoming all the guests along with introducing Sakura as the guest of honor, Madara had started the banquet.

The crowd finally relaxed once the alcohol started to flow and the sounds of chatter and laughter floated through the evening skies. Sakura looked at the happily chatting people in jealously, though she hid it from her face. Oh how she longed to mingle around but she, on the other hand, had little time to chat.

One reason had to do with the fact the only person in her immediate vicinity was the demonic king who stole her first kiss. And kami forbid what would happen if she tried to initiate a conversation over the said king's shoulder to the Prime Minister who seemed like a walking ice cube.

However, the main reason Sakura couldn't enjoy the eating the food and watching the dancers performing on stage had to do with the other nobles.

Once the food and wine were served, a never ending line of officials and clan heads would walk up to the stage with a small cup of liquor to give a few flattering words and then toast to Madara and Sakura. The emperor simply gave a nod in acknowledgement but Sakura would give a polite smile each time. After all, they went out of their way for her, so the least she could do would be to smile and acknowledge their efforts.

But by the time the fiftieth person toasted to her, she regretted those thoughts immensely.

Names and faces blurred in Sakura's mind as her responses to the greetings and well wishes became more mechanical. Occasionally, she would recognize a clan name that had given her a marriage proposal, but most were minor and relatively insignificant nobles that simply wanted to curry favor with her.

Her only respite was getting a bite or two of food before the next noble would go up to toast to her. The food was delicious.

…

"Itachi-chan," Mikoto smiled happily, "I've been looking forward to meeting the princess. Would it be possible for you to introduce us to her?"

The only person alive with the daring to call the Imperial Prince of Konoha 'Itachi-chan' was none other than his mother, who was immensely enjoying the lovely banquet. Being the main branch of the Uchiha family, Itachi's family were sitting on a table relatively close to the emperor's. However, the definition of close meant a good hundred feet away.

After all, the emperor's table was on its own stage as if to emphasize how important the individuals sitting on it were.

Secretly Itachi felt like the distance was meant so that there was more space for nobles who wished to toast to the emperor to line up.

Upon hearing his mother mention Sakura, Itachi looked at the princess sitting to the left of the emperor. Even though she was far away, he cheated by activating his sharingan to get a better look.

Being close friends to Sakura, Itachi could immediately tell that the princess who loved casually play around was feeling quite miserable at greeting all the well-wishers. The signs were subtle – a slight crease between her brows and the stiff smile on her lips – but Itachi could see them as clear as day.

"I'll ask her then," was Itachi's quiet response as he got up from the table.

At that time, Sakura was done eating and quietly watching the magic show that was being performed on the stage with interest.

"Sakura," Itachi calmly greeted the princess upon walking up to the table Sakura was sitting at.

Hearing the familiar voice of her good friend, Sakura's eyes immediately brightened as she replied back with a happy, "Itachi!"

Noting that the emperor was busy talking to another official, Itachi bent his waist down and softly spoke so that only Sakura could hear, "Bored?" The desperation in her eyes were so comical that Itachi couldn't help but smile at the sight, a warm feeling infusing his chest.

A conspiratory look was on Sakura's face as she used her hand to cover her mouth from all except Itachi, "Very bored. Save me!" She whispered.

Itachi gave another warm smirk before taking a step back and giving a small bow while extending his hand towards the princess, "This prince would be honored to introduce you to his family, would the princess accept?"

Sakura gave a giggle as she placed her hand on his and rising from her seat, "This princess would be honored."

Unbeknownst to the two of them, their actions were observed by both the emperor and his Prime Minister. And the two walking together confirmed the rumors among the nobles that out of all the candidates, Prince Itachi was currently the most successful in courting the princess.

Even though Sakura took up Itachi's offer to meet his family just to get away from the table, she couldn't help the feeling of nervousness, "Is it okay for me to leave the table?"

Itachi gave a nod in response, "The sun has set and the torches are being lit. It is the time for guests to mingle around, so it is perfectly acceptable."

"I see," Sakura grinned, before it disappeared again, "What about your parents? After all…" She snuck a glance Itachi.

"I don't see a problem of introducing the woman I'm courting to my parents." Itachi replied calmly.

Sakura felt embarrassed enough for the two of them. He made it sound like he was courting her for real!

…

Once again, Sasuke was having a life or death moment as he choked on the liquor he couldn't quite swallow.

Ignoring the looks of disapproval from his father and older brother, and waving away the worried hands of his mother, Sasuke tried to get his bearings together.

Dammit! He had known all along that she was a woman, but he never tried to think about her identity. It was so obvious that Sasuke had no idea how he never figured it out before. A woman named Haruno that he never met before, joining the weekly training session of the younger siblings of the Uchiha princes and the Uzimaki clan heir. It was obvious she wasn't some commoner, but to think she was the Imperial First Princess!

Looking up, he read the slightly nervous expression on her face as she greeted his parents. She looked everywhere except for him, even when she 'introduced' herself to him. But at least she was dealing it better than he was. And Sasuke knew for sure that she was equally surprised with his appearance.

Thinking back now, Sasuke realized that she knew nothing about him and Sai except that they were Uchihas.

He had to warn her about Sai and Naruto no matter what.

Even though Sasuke didn't really consider Sakura as a friend, she was still a teammate. Most importantly, Sasuke had to make sure to prevent anything from fucking up. Kami forbid that Naruto call the Imperial First Princess 'Seiki' in front of all the nobility.

While Sakura chatted amicably with his mom, Sasuke racked his brain on how to tell her when the Sakura suddenly dropped something.

The perfect opportunity, Sasuke quickly kneeled down to help her pick up the silk handkerchief. When he passed it onto her hands, he quickly brought his face towards her ear and whispered.

"Sai is Shisui's younger brother. Don't worry, you have on a lot of makeup, Sai probably won't notice. I'm not sure about the dobe though."

Lifting his face, his eyes crossed hers. Sakura's eyes had widened at the words before she smoothed out her expression.

"Thank you very much Sasuke-san for getting my handkerchief." She gave a polite tilt of her head as her eyes showed that she understood his message.

Now that Sakura knew that the other two were in the banquet too, Sasuke decided to get up from the table.

"Where are you going?" Fugaku asked, sipping his sake calmly.

Sasuke gave a grunt, "To see Naruto."

He had to do damage control.

…

"Shika, you promised to introduce me to the First Princess!" Ino whined out while holding onto her childhood friend's ear.

Shikamaru was desperately trying but failing to get out of her grasp, "I don't remember promising you anything."

Chouji and Hinata stood at the side, both worried for their best friends.

Ino's eyes turned a dark in anger.

Danger! SOS! Shikamaru's eyes in return widened as he put more effort in getting her hands off his poor left ear.

He could almost hear the snap of her control on anger when she calmed down and put on a smile. Crap, she's turned. A calm and collected Ino was the scariest thing in the world. Even Inoichi couldn't handle Ino when she got to the 'manipulation' stage. It was the stage where if Ino didn't get what she wanted, there would be hell to pay.

The only reason why Ino was bugging Shikamaru so much was that not anyone can approach the princess. A stranger such as Ino had no hope to just walk up to Sakura due to differences in rank so the only option available was for Shikamaru to bring Sakura to them. After all, Shikamaru was friends with the princess and a clan heir at that. Associating with Sakura would be no big deal for him.

"You're not allowed to do anything to her." The Nara had finally caved. His ear hurt too much.

Ino's words were sickenly sweet and innocent, "Shika-kun, of course I wouldn't touch a single hair of the First Princess."

"Too troublesome…" Shikamaru muttered under his breath as he rubbed his finally free ear.

The whipped Nara started walking across the venue towards where the Uchiha clan tables were.

When he reached the princess, Shikamaru felt an uncomfortable itching surfacing back on his chest that had occurred when he first met Sakura. The genius of a Nara didn't know how to make heads or tails of the feeling, so he pushed it to the back of his mind.

"Sakura," Shikamaru gave a lazy greeting.

He ignored Prince Itachi's curious gaze, unaware that he gave the exact same greeting Itachi had done in picking her up from the table with the emperor.

…

"To think that this is the Imperial First Princess." Ino gave a scoff, "She's nothing but a huge forehead."

Sakura wisely chose to ignore those words as she greeted Hinata, whom she had met at the Hyuga compound once, and introduce herself to Chouji.

After that, the smile on Sakura's face gave a twitch as she smoothly replied to the insult the young Yamanaka mistress gave, "You name was Ino correct? But you're in the wrong location. Pigs should be in the kitchen ready to be cooked for the banquet."

Shikamaru gave a huge sigh. Too troublesome…

The two glared at each other, fiery green clashing with teal blue. While once again, the others looked on in worry – or in Shikamaru's case – annoyance.

Just when Shikamaru decided to – _maybe_ – stop the fight, the two young noble ladies suddenly wore matching grins.

"Not bad, forehead girl," Ino commented, holding up a hand.

"You're not too shabby yourself, Ino-pig." Sakura responded as she took the proffered hand and the two exchanged a handshake.

"…" Shikamaru had no idea what happened, but it seemed the two became friends. Women…

At that moment, they were interrupted by two new arrivals.

"Sasuke-kun!" Ino squealed in delight, as she hurried up to the Uchiha before clinging onto one of his arms. It was amazing how quickly she had transformed from the arrogant and temperamental young woman to the currently simpering lady giving sweet and honeyed words.

Her actions were in vain, and the Uchiha in question was exerting all his power in ignoring her.

Before Sakura could greet Sasuke, a loud and unmistakable voice rang out.

"Oh? It's the three fools! The Sasuke fool, the Lazy fool, and the Fa-"

With reflexes and speed that denied the 'Lazy fool' title, Shikamaru quickly used his hand to cover the loud blonde's mouth.

Uzimaki Naruto, dressed in fine copper robes, was suddenly trying to prevent the Nara heir from suffocating him.

Sakura gave a sigh. Classic Naruto entrance…

Freeing his mouth, Naruto gave Shikamaru a glare, "Geez, I know not to say the taboo word." Before turning his attention to the rest.

When Naruto's eyes landed on Sakura, his face turned into the color of Sasuke's favorite tomatoes. "Sakura-hime! M-m-my name is Uzumaki Naruto. Nice to meet you!" He barely managed to stutter out before giving a bow that was too low for normal greetings.

"A pleasure to meet you," Sakura responded smoothly, thanks to Sasuke's warning, before giving a much more graceful and polite bow.

…

The night was getting late and the moon was high in the sky. As more and more people started to leave, Sakura decided that it was time for her to get to bed too. Even though the banquet had started off boring, she had an amazing time talking to the young nobles in Shikamaru's group. She even became fast friends with Ino and Hinata, and the three girls promised to visit each other often. After waving bye to Shikamaru, Sakura started looking around for Tenten.

A voice called out to her and stopped her in her tracks.

"Sakura-hime."

The Prime Minister again? Sakura turned around and gave the man a small curtsey in greetings.

In return, Pein gave a small bow before gently asking, "May I escort you back?"

Sakura gave a small giggle at his suddenly different demeanor, "You didn't ask when escorting me here. Why ask now?"

Pein gave a small smirk at her words while shrugging a little, "Taking you here was due to orders from the emperor, but escorting you back is due to my own will."

Maybe it was the wonderful starry night, or maybe it was the alcohol coursing through his veins, but Pein found it much easier to talk to the princess this time around. Offering an arm for her to hold, Pein slowly led the princess away from venue.

Sakura paused in her steps, her hand tugging his arm, "Tenten-"

"I've already told your maid to go back." Pein answered.

"…So you were quite confident that I would accept your escort." Sakura couldn't help but tease. She was suddenly surprised that a small smile appeared on Pein's face.

"Hm… Hopeful, more like." Pein responded, as his arm pulled closer to his body, drawing the perplexed princess to walk closer to him.

The two continued their slow walk back towards Sakura's courtyard. This time, the silence between seemed more relaxed, the opposite of their walk to the banquet had been.

Along the way, they crossed an elegant carved bridge that spanned over a small pond. Unconsciously, Sakura's steps stopped as she admired the moon reflected in the water's surface. It was almost as if one could almost reach out and grab the silver circle from the liquid depths.

"How lovely…" The princess breathed out, her voice faint in the night air.

"Not as beautiful as you are tonight, Sakura-hime." A quiet voice responded.

It took a few seconds for the words to process in Sakura's head, but once it did, the princess's face turned scarlet with embarrassment. Looking up, Sakura peeked a questioning glance at the man whose arm her hand was still wrapped around. Dark brown eyes stared back at her and she could almost see the stars reflected in their fiery depths.

Words failed to come out of Sakura's mouth as she tried to organize her thoughts on the words she did not expect to hear from the man next to her. But it was all for naught as his next words shocked her senseless.

"Sakura, I wish to court you."

* * *

Hello dear readers,

I hope you all squealed from the romance. After all, this is a romantic fanfic ;)

I honestly thought the banquet would span multiple chapters, but laziness… Well, the main purpose was to get Team Seven to finally figure out Sakura's real identity and introduce Ino and Hinata into the mix, so I guess that worked out.

Some of you might be confused on why Pein fell in love so quickly, but I say just accept it. I mean, come on, he's the first one. I've been taking it slow on the other suitors. Based on what I read about Yahiko on the Naruto wiki, I feel that this is good. To me, he seems the type that once he knows what he wants, he'll go towards it. No second guessing or anything like that. This was inspired by what I read about (spoiler alert?) Yahiko instantly plunging himself into Nagato's kunai in order to save Konan.

Not only that, I want to make the path towards falling in love with Sakura different with each suitor. It won't be interesting otherwise after all.

I hope you all enjoyed the banquet! Next up will introduce Konan and Nagato if my plans stay the same.

Cheers,

WhiteMint


	17. The First Suitor

Summary: In the imperial capital of Konoha, it was the norm for men to reign supreme while wives and concubines lived in seclusion like elegant flowers inside a locked garden. However, everything changed when one pink-haired medic entered the capital. Ancient Chinese AU SakuraxMulti

* * *

Chapter 17: The First Suitor

* * *

~*~ Behind the scenes at the banquet ~*~

" _Hokage-sama," Sasuke gave a short bow and salute at the Hokage of Konoha, Minato Namikaze._

 _Minato grinned at the young Uchiha in front of him and replied back, "Hello Sasuke, are you here for Naruto?"_

" _Hn," Sasuke confirmed, before turning towards the Uzumaki heir in question._

 _Naruto, at the moment, seemed to be trying to drown himself in a bowl of ramen. How on earth was there ramen in the banquet? With a gasp for air, Naruto paused in his eating, "Teme, what are you here for?"_

 _Kushina Uzumaki immediately punched her son in the head, "Don't be rude dattebane!" before giving Sasuke an apologetic smile, "Sorry about Naruto, we've probably spoiled him too much."_

" _No offense taken," Sasuke replied mildly before turning back towards Naruto, "We need to talk."_

" _Ehh?" Naruto whined, "I'm still not done with my ramen!"_

 _Sasuke grabbed Naruto by the collar, "Then take it with you!" Which Naruto did, holding onto the large bowl as they walked away towards a secluded area of the venue._

" _Have fun!" The Hokage waved them goodbye, and Sasuke responded with a curt nod._

" _So what's the big deal?" Naruto asked, his mouth full of ramen as he ate while they stood._

" _Seiki is here," Sasuke grunted._

" _Really?" Naruto brightened up, "Let's go see him!"_

 _Before Naruto could walk away, Sasuke once again grabbed Naruto's collar, reeling him back._

" _Seiki is uh…" Sasuke stammered. How on earth was he going to break it to Naruto?_

" _What," Naruto deadpanned. Why did the teme look so embarrassed?_

"… _a woman," Sasuke looked away, red tinged his cheeks from the embarrassment._

"…" _The silence around the two seemed almost deafening._

" _So you're saying…" Naruto surprisingly paused his eating, "That the teammate that punched me so hard that I experienced airborne flight the first time of my life is a woman?"_

" _There's more." Sasuke grunted._

" _What?"_

" _She's the First Princess."_

" _EHHH?"_

~*~ End of Behind the scenes ~*~

"What?" Sakura's intellect could only go so far at this moment.

Pein gave a wry smile, "I said, I wish to court you, Haruno Sakura."

Sakura could feel her face overheat as she suddenly became aware of the intimate distance between the two of them. She tried to pull away but Pein's free hand quickly held her waist and stopped her movement, making her even closer than ever.

Stiffening, Sakura once again looked up into the brown eyes that she couldn't help but seem to drown in. Underneath the starry sky, the moonlight basked the two in its cool glow.

"But…" Sakura stammered, feeling really shy, "You barely know me. We only officially met today!"

Pein replied calmly, "One of my duties as Prime Minister is to organize all reports to the emperor, including the reports about you. I know you quite well in fact, Sakura-hime." He had gone back to honorifics.

Sakura could smell a faint amount of wine on him, along with a musky and masculine scent that made her heady in nervousness. Everything about him was intoxicating, and Sakura could feel her willpower crumble at the first person to ever declare a romantic interest in her.

She was also embarrassed that he received all reports about her. She prayed to god that there was nothing stupid in the reports, "I don't know you though…" She was grasping at straws now.

Pein gently took both of her hands into his and raised them up to his mouth to give them a kiss, "That can be easily rectified. It only takes some time for you to know as much as you want about me."

…

He wasn't sure why he did it, but it was too late now. When he decided to escort Sakura back, he wanted to slowly get the princess to know him before declaring his interest in her. But the look in her eyes as she admired the moon and it's reflection in the pond water took his breath away. Without realizing it, he had voiced out his opinion.

After all, compared to the captivating image of the princess under the starry night, things such as the moon paled in comparison. Under the light of the starry night, her robes faintly glittered in the small amount of light. Her hair seemed to almost reflect the colors of the torches that lined the paths.

Even though his heart had been captured by the princess the moment he saw her before the banquet, it was the series of events during the banquet that finally made him voice out his budding feelings for her.

When he saw that her clothes had been designed to match with Madara, Pein couldn't help but feel jealous as he recalled the kiss Madara had taken from the princess the moment she came to Konoha. Then when Prince Itachi had talked so casually, so familiarly, with the princess and taken her away from their table did Pein forced himself to admit that in terms of courting the princess, Itachi was far ahead of the game than everyone else.

But there was naught he could do except for the occasional glances to check where the princess was. Even Madara had noticed Pein's distracted manner during the banquet and commented on it. The Prime Minister couldn't do much except look rueful as he drank more of the liquor that was provided.

He felt like they were worlds apart, him and the princess. While occasionally catching a glimpse of her laughing with the other young nobles and heirs, Pein was not enjoying the company of officials who were swarming him with cups of liquor trying to gain his favor.

Before he knew it, he had drank too much and the night was late.

Madara had already left, it seemed, and others were leaving. It wasn't until Pein noticed Sakura's maidservant wandering around in a searching manner did a flash of inspiration crossed his mind.

"You there," Pein called out.

The brunette maid was startled, "Yes!"

"Go back, I'll find the princess."

Tenten was startled, "But…"

He frowned, "I can protect her well enough." After all, he was one of the best martial artists in Konoha.

The maid stiffened, remembering that Pein knew of her job as a hidden bodyguard for the princess, "Yes, Pein-sama!" and she turned to leave.

Pein walked towards the crowded area, looking for her while ignoring everyone else.

And he saw her.

Sakura was at the moment waving goodbye to the Nara heir and seemed prepared to leave. Pein couldn't help but admire how she looked, glowing in the torchlight. But it wasn't until he noticed that others were also admiring the princess did he take action.

"Sakura-hime," He called out.

Her green eyes were like a window to her soul, and he felt amusement at the emotions that were shining through them. Confusion was evident. She didn't seem to like him much, and Pein planned on fixing it immediately.

Escorting her out, Pein decided to take a less traversed route back to her courtyard to give them more privacy.

Which brought him to this current situation, holding the princess in his arms, his face inches away from hers.

He nearly laughed out loud when she argued that he barely knew her. There was little he didn't know about her. After finding out about her identity as First Princess, Pein had used all his networking power to learn as much as possible about the Sakura Haruno that had been under the radar for so long. It wouldn't do if she was a traitor to her homeland. All the places she had traveled with Tsunade all the times she met up with the other Sannin, Pein knew them all.

And the current her in Konoha… The willful princess who would give all the treasures she got to Kakuzu, preferring to live humbly in the most extravagant location in all of Konoha. This silly girl who thought she was unsuspected of sneaking out of the palace to train. The woman who loved to burn marriage proposals for the sake of roasting sweet potatoes.

"One of my duties as Prime Minister is to organize all reports to the emperor, including the reports about you. I know you quite well in fact, Sakura-hime."

Hime. Princess. The title seemed fitting for the beauty that was in his arms yet seemed so inadequate. She was too good for Madara, too good for Itachi.

Her blushing face was filled with embarrassment and she looked so adorable that Pein had to use all his willpower to stop himself from stealing a kiss from those red lips.

"I don't know you though…"

Sakura had shyly glanced up at him, and his will nearly crumbled. She was considering his court. Considering him as a suitor!

Pein forced himself to let go of her delicate waist, even though he wanted her to be in his arms forever, and took her hands instead. Giving them a kiss would have to do for now. He needed to be a gentleman. If she wanted to know about him, then he will bare his soul for the beautiful princess to see.

They continued walking down the bridge and were getting closer to Sakura's courtyard. But this time, instead of her hand around her arm, Pein was holding her hand in his, entwining his fingers in hers, much to her obvious embarrassment. Every once in a while, he would once again look at the princess and admire her features. Occasionally, she would look back at him and blush, making him chuckle with amusement. He was worming his way into her heart now, and he planned to claim it all.

They were at the front gate of her home.

"Sakura," he breathed out. No more honorifics. He refused to consider her as a stranger.

"Y-yes, Pein-san," She stuttered back.

"Pein," he frowned. He refused for her to call him 'Pein-san' when she called the Uchiha brat 'Itachi'.

Her face turned delectably red and she muttered, "Pein…" The feeling of satisfaction was intoxicating to Pein and hit him harder than all the alcohol he drank.

"Tomorrow after lunch I will pick you up." Pein instructed, "Rest well."

And with those words, he gave her a light peck on the forehead and left with a small smile on his face.

She wanted to know more about him, and he'd best start immediately.

…

After Pein had left, Sakura had returned to her room in a daze. As she allowed Tenten to help her remove all the finery, Sakura still couldn't get Pein out of her head. The warm look in his normally sharp eyes, the gentle tone he spoke in, the way he held her in his arms…

She could feel the heat rising in her face again as she blew bubbles in the bath that she was currently in. Stop thinking about it! Sakura shook her head, agitating the herbed water.

By the time she fell asleep, all she could dream about was gentle brown eyes and orange hair…

…

"Neh, Itachi…" Sakura blushed, "I have a suitor."

Last night had seemed almost like a dream, and Sakura was still trying to pull herself out of it. So she decided to confide in her friend Itachi, during their daily healing session.

The Uchiha in question was lying down on a bench, relaxed and uncaring, "New marriage proposal? Is it interesting?"

"No…" Oh, this was so embarrassing. "Pein."

That woke him up, "The Prime Minister is courting you?"

"Yeah…"

Itachi frowned, a strange sense of jealousy budding, "Since when?"

Sakura looked away blushing at a rose bush nearby, "He told me after the banquet. He was escorting me back. Pein said that he wanted to court me, and that he'll come visit later today."

Not many things bothered the Uchiha prince, but he wasn't sure what to make of this current situation. His nap long forgotten, Itachi sat up and gave Sakura a contemplating look.

The princess, once she mentioned it, couldn't seem to stop talking, "I mean… He seemed really serious about it. Granted, he seemed a little drunk at the time, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't the alcohol talking. I'm not sure what to do about it. After all, he's the first suitor I've ever had."

Itachi frowned, "No, I'm your first suitor."

The princess shot him an exasperated look, "You're not a real suitor!"

"What if I am?" The words spilled out Itachi's mouth faster than he could contemplate it.

The laughter that came from it made Itachi secretly embarrassed and relieved. It seemed that the princess didn't take him seriously, and he wasn't sure if he wanted her to or not.

"Sakura," a voiced interrupted the two of them. The prince and princess looked up and saw the Prime Minister walking up to them, dressed in simple forest green robes.

"Pein!" Sakura stood up, suddenly embarrassed.

Itachi couldn't help but notice the tinge of pink on her cheeks and the softening of Pein's eyes as he looked at the princess.

"Pein," Itachi greeted calmly, drawing away the Prime Minister's attention.

"Itachi," Pein responded, his posture once again cold and apathetic, the Pein that Itachi was familiar with, "Am I interrupting?" Though Pein seemed completely unconcerned with 'interrupting'.

Sakura stammered, "N-not really…" What was wrong with her? She felt so nervous near him, as if butterflies were having a party in her stomach!

Pein once again focused his attention on Sakura, "There is a place I want to show you, Sakura. Would you like to come?"

Sakura glanced at Itachi, who smoothly responded for the two of them, "Don't mind me, I was just about to leave anyways." Itachi then gave a small bow to Pein, "It was good to see you, Pein."

The Prime Minister nodded, "Likewise, Itachi."

As Itachi left the two of them, he wondered what this itchy feeling in his chest was…

* * *

Hello my readers~

I really should be working on homework, but I can't stop myself from writing… I blame it on the lovely ancient Chinese music that I've been listening to. I listen to it whenever I write The Imperial Princess. Really sets the mood.

The romance is about to start kicking in! Itachi is starting to realize his feelings and things will get complicated! Are you guys excited? I am!

I'll probably write another "Behind the Scenes at the Banquet" in the other chapter showing what Tenten was doing. And then I'll introduce Konan and Nagato. This chapter was longer than I thought, and I don't feel like writing any more for the rest of today.

Don't expect the next chapter to be immediate. I have an interview coming up that I need to prepare for so the next one will be maybe like Thursday or Friday.

Cheers,

WhiteMint

PS: I love it when you guys review! It makes me so happy when my chapters make you all go "kya~" I also hope the behind the scenes answered some questions, and raised more questions (nope, I didn't mess up on the last names)


	18. The Orphanage

Summary: In the imperial capital of Konoha, it was the norm for men to reign supreme while wives and concubines lived in seclusion like elegant flowers inside a locked garden. However, everything changed when one pink-haired medic entered the capital. Ancient Chinese AU SakuraxMulti

* * *

Chapter 18: The Orphanage

* * *

 _ **15 years ago**_

" _Thank you for your work in assisting my father… Prime Minister Danzo."_

" _Of course, your majesty. It is my job to help and protect Konoha to the best of my abilities, after all." Danzo responded, still in a kneeling position. Even though Danzo was old and required a cane to walk, the damned kid still did not give him permission to stand up from his current kneeling position. It was of little worry though. Danzo doubted the young and newly minted emperor knew how to rule the country. His position of shadow ruler was still secure._

 _Madara gestured, and a servant came in carrying a small try containing a small bottle of liquor with a cup, "This wine is one of the finest in the imperial stores, consider it as a token of appreciation for your work."_

 _Danzo's eyes widened at the sight as he suddenly broke out in sweat, "You can't! Your majesty!"_

 _Madara's eyes glinted, sharingan bright, "There is nothing this king 'can't' do."_

 _The servant had already poured out a small cup for Danzo as the Prime Minister held it with trembling hands._

 _A smirk graced the young man's lips as he leaned against the golden throne, watching his father's Prime Minister try to hide his fear._

 _Danzo still refused to drink from the cup as he glared at the young boy, barely fifteen, sitting on the throne, "There is no replacement for my position as Prime Minister. Please reconsider this your majesty!"_

" _No replacement? I disagree." Madara's grin widened that a flash of a canine could be seen, "The servant over there can probably do better than you."_

 _Danzo's head quickly turned towards the servant that was still holding the tray containing the bottle of wine._

 _Ringed eyes and orange hair stared back at him._

 _How did he not notice! This was the same servant that had always served Madara back when he was a prince. And during all court sessions, the servant was always standing in the corner of the hall, ready to serve the prince at any given point. That damn Madara hid the user of the Rinnegan that Danzo had been spent years searching for in plain sight!_

" _This king orders you to drink." A chilly voice broke Danzo out of his thoughts._

 _No worries, even though it was the norm for most emperors to poison all possible threats upon ascension of the throne like this, Danzo had an antidote hidden in his sleeve. He'll pretend to die and sneak out. His dealings with Hanzo and Orochimaru will soon bear fruit and the throne will not be far from his grasp._

 _With a tilt of his head, Danzo swallowed the wine while at the same time, swallowing the pill he procured from his sleeve._

 _Madara looked positively vicious with his feral smirk, almost as if he was enjoying a good show, "What's wrong Danzo? I never poisoned the wine."_

 _Before Danzo could reply, blood spurted out of his mouth. He looked down at the thin blade that suddenly protruded from his chest. He recognized it._

 _His footsteps as silent as ever, the owner of the katana pulled it out as Danzo collapsed face first onto the ground. A hand on Danzo's shoulder turned the man over as he stared at the golden eyes in shock._

" _You don't deserve such an easy way out like poison." Madara continued, as if Danzo was still kneeling on the ground and listening, "I'm sure you never noticed that working with you was my order for Orochimaru. I needed to know your true loyalties. I was quite surprised when I found out your interesting plan…"_

 _The words were muffled in Danzo's ears and he couldn't hear the rest as his vision turned blurry._

 _Danzo coughed out more blood as he stared at the high ceilings of the imperial court._

 _Everything that he had ever done… Had been for Konoha._

 _And now it was all ruined._

…

 **Present Day**

"Uh…" Sakura was doing great at showing off her eloquence, "Should I change?" She glanced sheepishly at her current state of attire, a simple pink-colored robe with no embroidery.

"No need," Pein responded, and gestured towards his own simple clothes, "After all, we're going incognito."

"I see." Sakura felt relieved.

Pein lifted his arm, and looked with amusement as the princess flinched slightly, staring at the protruding limb.

"Shall I escort you?" Pein stared at her arm in return, waiting for her response.

Sakura coughed a bit to clear her constricted throat, "Uh, yes." And grabbed onto his arm, feeling uncomfortable doing so even though it had been perfectly natural yesterday when he escorted her to the banquet.

Once they exited Sakura's courtyard, there was a plain and nondescript carriage waiting for them. Two large poles were wrapped in cloth and a box were stored behind the carriage. Pein lifted the cotton cloth covering the front of the carriage and offered his hand to help Sakura enter. Once she was safely inside, to her surprise, Pein lifted himself onto the driver's seat.

"Normally, I go on horseback. But since you're here, the carriage will do for today." Pein explained, before giving the reins a shake and starting the horse.

"I can ride a horse too!" Sakura felt the need to defend her honor. She's ridden tons of horses before in her travels.

Pein gave a small chuckle at her response, "I know you can. If you wish to join me next time, I'll bring two horses and you can ride one."

"…" She didn't know what to respond to the 'next time'.

The carriage left the palace gates and proceeded down the streets of Konoha. Sakura glanced at the surroundings, trying to guess where Pein wanted to go, when his carriage reached the gates of the city. The guards clearly recognized Pein as they let him exit without a single pause and the carriage slowly rolled along the roads.

Curiosity got to the best of her, "Where are we going?"

"Not too far from here." The Prime Minister responded calmly.

After a few minutes, he turned the carriage away from the main road towards a smaller, and much less traversed one. But that road soon ended to become uncrossable by carriage. Pein stoped the horse and got off.

"We've arrived," he held up his hand to help her out.

Standing in the middle of the forest, Sakura looked around while Pein tied the horse to a tree.

"Here?" She didn't see anything in particular of note.

Pein grabbed the items from the back of the carriage, "No. There's a bit of a walk, not too far though." He then pointed at a small trail that Sakura didn't notice before.

Sakura nodded, and they started walking on the trail. Since Pein's hands were full of the items he was carrying, he did not offer his arm for Sakura to use, much to her relief. She wasn't sure if her heart could take it anymore.

After a few minutes of walking, Sakura could hear the sound of running water. A stream?

The foliage surrounding them soon opened up and a small creek came into view. Sakura's eyes immediately went towards the two wrapped poles in Pein's arms, finally guessing what was hidden within the cotton fabric.

"This is my favorite place," Pein seemed to lose some tension in his shoulders that Sakura didn't even notice was initially there, looking at the flowing water as he set his items down on a large rock. He carefully unwrapped the two poles, showing a pair of bamboo fishing poles. Opening the box, he expertly tied the fish hooks onto the strings connected to the fishing poles.

After putting some earthworms as bait, Pein held the prepared fishing pole to Sakura, "Have you ever fished before?"

Sakura shook her head, holding the pole, "During my travels, Shizune was usually the one who fished. I collected berries or hunted rabbits."

"Ah," Pein responded, before throwing his line into the waters, "Then today, you can try it out if you wish."

Her moves being much clumsier than Pein's expert throw, Sakura also tossed her line into the waters.

Barely a minute had passed when Pein's line started moving.

With calm, Pein started reeling in the fish line and in a splash of silvery water, a large trout flailed around in the air, unaccustomed to the sudden lack of a watery environment.

The Prime Minister then killed the trout with a swift blow to the head before throwing it into the box. It seemed that the box doubled for storing supplies along with fish, Sakura noted. It wasn't until Pein caught his second fish before Sakura felt like something was off.

Slowly reeling her line, Sakura could feel embarrassment rolling off of her in waves as she stared at her – now bait free – hook.

"It happens," Pein stuck his fish pole between two rocks to keep it straight before reaching for more bait to attach to Sakura's clean hook.

Sakura nodded, and once again threw her line into the waters.

Even though she had been nervous on what type of 'date' Pein had wanted to take her to, she found the fishing trip quite surprising and fun. Just as she was about to settle into a comfortable silence, Pein started talking.

"My real name is Yahiko, not Pein." Pein stated.

Surprised green eyes glanced up at the person next to her and all she could see were clear brown ones that were no longer focused on the beautiful creek.

Pein's eyes returned to the creek as he continued speaking.

"I was a war orphan from Amegakura, and I grew up with two others - Konan and Nagato - whom you have yet to meet. Each day we fought with everything we could to survive. We stole what little food we could get our hands on, and lived in dark alleyways. I was nearly afraid that we would die from starvation.

We were saved by Jiraiya when he was on a mission with Tsunade and Orochimaru, and he was the one to bring us to Konoha.

It was then when I met Madara, who was still a prince back then.

I remember the feeling of hatred I felt towards him. In front of me was a prince who lived every day in luxury and never had to worry about hunger. I despised the very sight of him.

But… When Madara told me his goal, I felt nothing but shock. He asked for our loyalty and I accepted. I have been working for him ever since."

"Goal?" Sakura questioned.

The enigma known as the Prime Minister had a small smile, and it surprised Sakura, "If you wish to know his goal, you should ask him yourself."

At Sakura's silence, Pein continued, "That day I changed my name. I swore that no matter what the consequences, no matter how much pain I will experience, I will help him fulfill his goal. Since his goal is the same as my wish."

Sakura stared at the water beneath her as if it would give her all the questions her head was suddenly filled with.

She decided to ask the simplest one first, "Why tell me this?" To her knowledge, no one knew the origins of the Imperial Prime Minister.

Pein shrugged, while reeling in yet another fish, "If I wish to court you, the least you should know is that my blood is far from noble. I grew up in the slums, and no title or money can change that."

If Sakura was only interested in noble blood, she would have accepted the emperor's position as concubine in the drop of a hat. After all, there was no one nobler than the dragon ruler. But she didn't tell him that.

"You probably lost your bait again," Pein interrupted her thoughts.

Flabbergasted, Sakura once again reeled in her line and looked at her perfectly clean hook with exasperation. Whoever coined the term 'beginners luck' could just go to hell!

Watching Pein attach more bait onto her hook, Sakura asked another question, "So when the emperor ascended his throne, you became Prime Minister?"

"I cannot tell you the details, but yes," Pein returned her the fishing line.

Silence once again descended on the two.

Even though Sakura tried to keep her thoughts serious, seeing Pein's never ending ability to catch the shiny trout made her pitiful attempts that always ended with stolen bait seem like a joke. The rest of the time was spent in silence, aside from the occasional groan from the princess as she repeatedly fail to catch a fish.

An hour later, the box was filled to the brim with fish – none of it hers – and Pein gave the princess a humorous look.

"Maybe you aren't cut for fishing."

Sakura fumed, "I'll do better next time!"

Surprised brown eyes looked at the princess when Sakura suddenly realized the implication behind her words. Sakura looked away, "Well…" she poked her index fingers together, "If you don't mind taking me next time…"

Pein started wrapping up the poles, "Of course I don't mind."

And with a lighter heart, Sakura walked back to the carriage with the Prime Minister.

…

Once again, Sakura was surprised at where Pein took her. Instead of the going back to the palace like Sakura had assumed, the carriage had stopped at a large, but plain building.

"Konoha Orphanage" The sign read.

The neighborhood was located between the marketplace and the suburbs, very safe for children to be in. And there were a lot of kids of varying ages playing around in front of the courtyard.

As Pein helped Sakura down the carriage, a couple of the kids spotted them.

"Uncle Yahiko! Did you bring more fish?"

Soon, Sakura and Pein were swarmed with kids.

Pein nodded, "You know where it is." And a few of the older kids went to the carriage and grabbed the box containing all the trout.

So that's why he caught so much…

"Now now, don't crowd him," a calm voice reached over the din of babbling children. Immediately, the kids started leaving, either to go back and play, or take the fish into the building. The remaining person was the voice that had spoken out earlier, a beautiful blue-haired woman.

"A guest?" The woman asked, looking at Sakura. Even though her face was blank and emotionless, Sakura could see a hint of amusement in her amber eyes.

"Konan," Pein nodded, "This is Haruno Sakura."

"I see… Well, it's a pleasure for you to grace our humble abode, princess." The bow Konan gave was as elegant as the origami flower that adorned her hair.

"No need for something like titles," Sakura protested while bowing in return, "It's nice to meet you too, Konan-san."

"And you don't need to give me honorifics," the blue-haired woman responded. Konan waved her hand towards the house, "Both of you come in, you can also meet my husband, Nagato, Miss Haruno Sakura."

* * *

Hello readers~

I originally wanted to write everything that happens in this visit, but now I can't think of what to write for the visit. So I stopped it here ehehe. Life has gotten very busy with lots of traveling for interviews. It took a lot of willpower to update and luckily enough for me, some of it was pre-written (like the scene with Danzo and Pein explaining his past) so there wasn't too much for me to write.

For those readers who are uncomfortable with my story 'not getting anywhere', I'll just have you know that there's no real plot. Well, there is a plot, but there's not like an ultimate goal or serious bad guy or whatnot. At least, I don't plan it. I want this to be a light-hearted and deep romance between Sakura and everyone vying for her heart. Some of you might not like Pein's forwardness, while most are in love with it. I can't please everyone, but I write what I want to write. I personally like how I've written Pein, and he's the important spark needed to spur on Itachi and Shikamaru.

For those who want to know when Gaara and Kabuto will come in, my estimation is at least another 5 chapters. Before then, it'll be more Neji, the girls, and Team 7 (and maybe Shisui).

And once again, thank you for the kind reviews, they brighten my day and spur me to continue writing and sharing this little story with you all :)

Cheers,

WhiteMint


	19. The Gilded Cage

Summary: In the imperial capital of Konoha, it was the norm for men to reign supreme while wives and concubines lived in seclusion like elegant flowers inside a locked garden. However, everything changed when one pink-haired medic entered the capital. Ancient Chinese AU SakuraxMulti

* * *

Chapter 19: The Gilded Cage

* * *

~*~ Behind the scenes at the banquet ~*~

 _After seeing Sakura-hime being seated, Tenten mentally got herself ready for a long night of standing. Even though Tenten was to serve Sakura if need be, the banquet had their own servants for the food and drinks so that there was no confusion like giving the wrong dish to the wrong table. Instead, personal servants such as Tenten herself were just required to be on standby until their masters were ready to leave._

 _The banquet was every bit as extravagant as Tenten had imagined. Possibly even more so. As she watched dishes upon dishes of delicacies being brought out, the maidservant of the princess couldn't help but feel hungry. The food was indeed suited for all the nobility and royalty present at the banquet, and she was sure that some of the more minor nobles had never even had the chance to try some of the delicacies that were plentiful today, let alone a servant like her._

 _Just as she was trying to stay still with her growling stomach, her name was called out from the side._

 _"Tenten-chan."_

 _She turned around, "Iruka-sensei?"_

 _Iruka Umino, Head Servant of the Imperial Palace and former Academy teacher. He was one of her teachers in training her for her current job as the First Princess's maidservant._

 _"There is a separate venue for the servants and guards off duty to relax and eat, you should go there, Tenten." Iruka gave her a warm smile._

 _A place to eat… Tenten couldn't help but think about it, "But my job of watching over the princess…"_

 _"We have guards stationed everywhere, it'll be fine without you." Iruka assured her, "Besides, if you go now, you'll have a much better time."_

 _Much better time? Tenten was confused, but the calm smile on her Academy's sensei reassured her as she walked to the area that was meant for the servants. It wasn't far away, just around the corner really, and the tables were much simpler. The food had been arranged in a buffet serve-yourself style and the dishes were not nearly as extravagant as the ones being served to the nobles. But it still looked delicious and Tenten was starving. As she loaded her plate to the brim, a pair of loud voices came to her ears._

 _So this is what Iruka-sensei meant by how she would 'have a much better time'._

 _"Lee! Gai-sensei!" Tenten called out, walking towards her friend and teacher, both with their own plates of food._

 _"Hello Tenten!" Gai greeted, gleaming teeth shining in the torchlight, "We haven't seen you since you got assigned to work for the First Princess!"_

 _"That's right!" Lee nodded enthusiastically, "We hear that she's as beautiful as the flowers of her namesake. Is it true?"_

 _Tenten laughed at the remark, "I think she's nice to work for. She's not arrogant like most nobles. And yes, she really is pretty."_

 _Lee dramatically placed his hand on his chest, as if his heart was hurting, "Ahh! It's a shame that my common rank as a soldier does not allow me to partake on her beauty. I have only seen her from afar once, and I could not see her face. But the side profile I did see made my heart flutter!"_

 _"Really…" Tenten couldn't help but feel her mood drop, as she ate a few dumplings from her plate._

 _"Oh!" Lee brightened up, "But you look quite wonderful today dear Tenten!"_

 _Gai gave a thumbs up, "That's right! It's not every day we see our Tenten dressed like this! You look very youthful tonight!"_

 _The compliments were so blunt yet because she knew they were honest to a fault, Tenten couldn't help but laugh, her mood brightening. Even though she enjoyed working for Sakura as a maid and guard, she couldn't help but miss her old teammates._

 _As she chatted with her former teammate and sensei, another surprise reunion happened._

 _"Lee, Tenten, Sensei." A voice joined them. One that none of them expected would be in the servants' area._

 _The three that had just been greeted were uncharacteristically shocked, "Neji! What are you doing here?"_

 _A slight grimace adorned the Hyuga heir's face, "Am I not welcomed?"_

 _Tenten immediately waved her hand in a placating manner, "Of course not! It's just that… Our statuses…"_

 _Lee was uncharacteristically serious, "You're now the Hyuga heir Neji, not a branch member. Are you sure you still want to associate with us?"_

 _'Associate'_

 _Those words gave Neji a bitter feeling, "Even though I've become clan heir, it doesn't mean I'll leave my past teammates behind."_

 _Feeling touched, the other two were uncharacteristically silent._

 _Neji did not enjoy the banquet much. If it wasn't for his new status as heir, a banquet hosted by the emperor himself was something he originally couldn't even think about going. But now that he was here, he didn't feel like he could fit in anywhere. Sitting at a table of family members that weren't his own immediate family, and talking to other young heirs and noblemen that – while polite to him – occasionally gave him disdainful looks when they thought he wasn't looking._

 _He was not born as heir, so he didn't deserve the title. Was what many around him would gossip._

 _Finally fed up with the hateful words surrounding him, Neji excused himself and tried to find a quiet place to settle his anger. To his surprise, he ended up at the servant's area and noticed his teammates and sensei. Even though Neji would never admit it, a wave of loneliness and nostalgia hit him and he found that he suddenly missed the times when he was free to train with his teammates. Before he knew it, Neji's feet brought him to them and he couldn't help but call out to them._

 _Oh how different the three were now._

 _Tenten was dressed immaculately in her best servant's robes. The light pink silk robes glowed in the torchlight and her typical two buns were pinned with silver and pearl accessories. Her makeup was immaculate and Neji could spot the small signs of the hidden weapons inside her robes. She was like a jeweled dagger – beautiful, but dangerous. She was no longer the tomboy who wore more dirt and rust than jewelry on herself, but was instead a graceful young woman who was proud of her status as the handmaiden and guard of the First Princess._

 _Lee and Gai-sensei were no longer dressed in their embarrassingly tight green and orange martial arts uniform. Instead, the two were decked in the armor of the imperial guards that gleamed of copper and steel. The dark green robes underneath looked black in the dark, and there was an aura of confidence in their stance. Even though both were holding their plates of food, Neji knew that they could – at a moment's notice – turn battle ready in case anything would happen._

 _Even though the three had all grown up from Team Gai, Neji himself was probably the biggest change in terms of status and power. Yet he felt like he was only sinking into the depths of the murky waters known as politics._

 _Silence settled between the members of Team Gai._

 _Tenten broke the hidden tension, "Ne… I heard that you visited Sakura-hime. Are you pursuing her, by any chance?"_

 _Back when Neji first visited the princess, Tenten had been running an errand so the two did not see each other._

 _"Ahh," Neji affirmed, "Clan orders."_

 _"As expected of my rival!" Lee exclaimed, "Pursuing the most talked about princess in the country! I'm sure you'll be successful!" He gave Neji a thumbs up before spooning some curry into his mouth._

 _Neji's lips turned up in a sarcastic grimace. The hand of Haruno Sakura was one thing he wasn't sure he would be 'successful' in getting._

 _"I'll work on it."_

~*~ End of Behind the scenes ~*~

"Due to these reasons, I believe that you would find marrying into the Hyuga clan beneficial for the both of us."

Sakura was silent as she stared at the Hyuga heir sitting across from the table once he finished his proposal. The scroll lay open between the two, listing all the things that Neji had spent 30 minutes explaining to her about. The benefits of the marriage between the two of them.

Neji had been completely professional the entire time, a complete opposite approach from a certain Prime Minister. If anything, it made Sakura angrier.

"Shikamaru, what's one personal thing you know about me?"

Shikamaru and Sakura had been playing Go when Neji had arrived, and even though the Nara wanted to leave, there was an angry glint in the princesses eyes that told him he would have hell to pay if he decided to hightail it.

"You hate bell peppers." Immediate reply.

Sakura looked at Neji, "So, Hyuga, what's one personal thing you know about me?"

Neji couldn't think of anything.

Everything that Neji knew of the princess, was what everyone in Konoha knew about her. Her title, her ability as a doctor, and her clan name. But something personal? Private? Neji hit a blank.

The princess gave the Hyuga clan heir a sniff as if proving her point. Though what it was, Neji still wasn't sure of it.

Sakura stood up and slammed her hands on the table. Glaring at Neji, her voice was full of scorn and disdain, "Of all people, I would have thought that you would understand my circumstances the most. But it seems I was mistaken."

Neji stiffened, "I don't see what's wrong with my proposal, if there is anything you wish to change-"

"Neji Hyuga!" Sakura barked, "The title of clan heir seems to have gotten into your head! Did you really think that if I wanted to marry solely for the benefits of a rich family, I wouldn't have married the emperor?"

"Perhaps you wanted a title higher than concubine-"

Sakura seemed to have a habit of interrupting him, "Then why haven't I married Uchiha Itachi then?"

Neji couldn't answer that. It was a question the entire population of Konoha was wondering.

The silence only incited Sakura's wrath even more, "As a former branch member, you should know very well how our very birth can decide our fates. What do you think of me, born the daughter of a fallen noble house. The only advantage I have is my title of Imperial Princess. If it wasn't for that, who in this city would be willing to marry me?"

It was true. The name Haruno carried no weight in Konoha. If anything, it was a disadvantage to have that name since everyone knew that it was one of the first clans to fall from by the emperor's hands.

Sakura continued her rant, "I'm a failure of a noble woman, and I know for a fact you feel the same way. Don't think I never noticed that look of disdain on your face when we first met.

I'm better at stitching wounds than embroidering silk.

I can make medicinal pills but can't cook.

I can list all the bones of the human body but I don't know how to recite poetry.

No matter how good of a doctor I am, I'm nothing but a caged bird due to my birth. You have the ability to lead your clan in the future. But what do I have? I have the highest title a noble woman could possibly have along with the most power no woman has ever experienced. But all I can do is decide my future husband, and I will take every advantage of it."

Neji was startled at seeing the unshed tears gleaming in Sakura's emerald orbs.

"No matter how pretty it looks on the outside, a cage is still a cage. Trapping me forever. All I can do… Is decide where I can move, from my current gilded cage to another. There is no hope for me. I cannot escape this path. I cannot escape my title, my noble blood. I'm constantly being followed and watched, for my 'protection'. The least I can do… Is to find someone who will love me to marry. A luxury no woman has in this world, not even your new 'sisters'." Sakura gave a humorless laugh.

"And here you come in, prancing your title and status as if I'll jump at the opportunity to marry you. I honestly thought better of you, Neji Hyuga. I thought you of all people would understand. But I was wrong."

Sakura started walking away, "Tenten!"

The maid that had been standing at the door was startled, "Yes, Sakura-hime?"

"Please escort the two guests out. And then tell the guards that I don't want any visitors at all, including Itachi."

And Sakura left.

Walking away from the house, Sakura held her guqin in her arms as she went towards the most secluded place she could find in her garden. A clearing covered by a circle of trees and flower bushes.

Kneeling down, Sakura placed her beloved instrument on her lap as her fingers started dancing on the strings. She played the only song her mother had ever taught her. It was a simple, and happy, nonsensical song meant for kids. And the notes seemed as if trying to cover the grief in the young princess's heart.

Tears streamed down her cheeks. The tears she didn't dare to show in front of anyone else.

"Kaa-san… Tsunade-shishou…"

* * *

Hello my dear readers,

Happy Valentines with the start of the rockiest relationship in this story! Jk, it was complete coincidence that my next chapter had to be of the worst couple in the story so far. This chapter is a far cry from the cuteness of the previous two lol. If there are Neji fans who are crying right now, don't worry, he'll be a true suitor sooner or later… More later than sooner.

Life has gotten really (really, _really_ ) stressful. Midterms are right around the corner and I feel like I barely get any free time to myself that doesn't involve homework and studying. Also, I find Neji just so hard to write for some reason. I would have the idea for the chapter stewing in my head but once I get down with my hands on the keyboard, I just have no clue on how to type it out. My updates are suffering because my personal free time in general is suffering. So forgive me for that.

Though if I get more reviews, I might be more inclined to write... Cough cough.

Cheers,

WhiteMint


	20. The News

Summary: In the imperial capital of Konoha, it was the norm for men to reign supreme while wives and concubines lived in seclusion like elegant flowers inside a locked garden. However, everything changed when one pink-haired medic entered the capital. Ancient Chinese AU SakuraxMulti

* * *

Chapter 20: The News

* * *

Neji's head was in a jumble as he slowly went back to his clan compound. Shutting himself within his room, he couldn't help but contemplate the princess's passionate speech.

When he first met her, Neji had felt almost disgusted with the way she presented herself. Lazy, nonchalant, and unimpressed with his presence. Neji had envisioned that the First Princess would be a woman of impeccable grace and beauty, full of gentle words in a soft and lovely voice. But instead he met a crude and willful woman who held no respect for him. Even though in all technicalities, he was of lower rank than her.

The most powerful woman…

Neji knew that, and yet he had expected respect and courtesy from her.

If she was the most powerful man… If she was the emperor, and the same situation had happened...

Neji noted with a start that if anything, Neji himself would have kneeled onto the ground for forgiveness if he had interrupted the emperor. But instead, Neji had been displeased at her attitude, all because she was a woman.

It was at that moment that Neji realized the difference between the most powerful man in the world, and the most powerful woman… It was like the difference between heaven and earth.

And there was nothing Sakura could do about that. Just like how Neji couldn't help but be born a branch clan member, Haruno Sakura couldn't help her gender.

He needed fresh air.

Neji quickly opened the door to his room, and he was startled by the person standing outside.

Hyuga Hinata was just outside his door, holding a tray with a steaming cup of green tea, her hand raised as if to knock on his door.

"Hinata-sama." Neji couldn't help but vocalize.

Hinata gave a shy smile, "Neji-niisan, I noticed that you were in a bad mood so I brought you your favorite tea." And with a graceful movement, she held the cup of tea to him.

Neji stared at the cousin – now sister – in front of him. Back when he was a branch member, the last thing expected of Hinata would be to serve him tea. If anything, it would have been the opposite. But now that he was heir, Neji had taken it for granted her every day actions like this. After all, he was now her older brother. Even though Hinata was born of the main branch, she still served him tea, the 'niisan' who was ultimately a branch clan member…

Neji wordlessly took the cup of tea. It was brewed perfectly.

He studied Hinata in front of him. Her clothes were proper and impeccable. Her stance was graceful and gentle, and her words were polite and demure. Exactly what was expected of every noble woman.

The words came out of his mouth before he knew it, "Have you ever thought about whom you will marry?"

Confusion graced Hinata's face, "Of course I will marry whomever father chooses for me."

If Neji hadn't been looking for it, he would have missed the slight hint of sadness and resignation in her eyes.

Even Hinata, first daughter of the Hyuga clan, did not have the power to choose her own husband…

Neji's hands shook and the tea nearly spilt out of the mug. Hinata, the cousin that he had always hated. The cousin he was always jealous of. Whom he had thought had everything Neji had always dreamed for, had no control over her own life. No control over her future.

Neji had never felt so ashamed of himself until now.

…

The lush green forest of the Uchiha clan compound was filled with birds singing and squirrels jumping about. Within the many trees was a small clearing with a single log lying on the ground. Resting on top of it was a young Uchiha carefully examining his precious weapon, looking for any blemishes that needed fixing.

"Hey Teme," Naruto voiced out.

"What Dobe," Sasuke replied while polishing his katana.

The only person that called Sasuke Uchiha a Teme was the young heir of the Uzimaki clan. Naruto was sitting on a tree branch while Sasuke was checking up on his weapons. The two were currently relaxing after a spar.

The sunlight that shone through the leaves of the oak that Naruto was resting on was very comfortable on his face, but the deep blue eyes were unfocused at staring off into the distance. The blonde young man's cheeks turned a bit pink while he tried to act indifferent, "During the banquet a few days ago… Did you know beforehand that Seiki was Sakura-hime?"

Sasuke paused his polishing while giving the blonde a suspicious glance. Even though Naruto's face was turned away, the tell-tale signs of Naruto's red ears confirmed the theory that Sasuke was forming in his mind.

"Don't tell me you like her now?"

Naruto choked.

"I-I- I just think she's cute! What's wrong with that?!" A red faced Naruto sat up and yelled at the Uchiha sitting on the log below him.

"Give up. You have no hope." Sasuke was not one to beat around the bush, "She's marrying my brother. You're not good enough."

"I'm also a clan heir!" Naruto looked indignant, "What makes me so much worse than your brother?"

"Are you even asking that?" Before Sasuke could go on a very large list of all the qualities his aniki had that was better than Naruto, the blonde interrupted him.

"Okay… Fine, I know I lose to Itachi in every way possible." Naruto grumbled, "But that shouldn't mean I don't have a chance?"

The dead eyed look Sasuke gave him all the answer Naruto needed.

…

 _ **One week later**_

"Ahh…"

Sakura threw a piece of bread at the koi fish while sitting in the waterside pavilion.

"Ahh…"

Another piece.

"… Ahh…"

She ran out of bread.

Laying her head down onto her arms, she gave another sigh, "Ahh…"

"Dammit Sakura-chan!"

An angry voice came out, startling the girl into sitting up and staring at the source of the noise.

Behind her were her teammates: Sasuke, Naruto, and Sai.

An arrogant smirk graced Sasuke's face as he held out his hands, "Ten silvers each boys."

Naruto grumbled as he grabbed the silver coins from his money purse while an expressionless Sai did the same. As Sasuke pocketed his winnings, Sai gave the perplexed Sakura an explanation.

"We were betting on how many times you would sigh. I bet less than twenty. Naruto bet within twenty to forty. And Sasuke bet over forty. You lost me ten silvers ugly."

Sakura was startled, "Did I really sigh over forty times?"

The boys all nodded.

"Ne Sakura-chan. Why were you sighing so often?" Naruto asked.

Sasuke held up his hand, stopping Sakura from replying, "Wait, we should bet on the answer. Ten silvers again."

Sai shook his head, "I'm not betting this round."

Naruto gave a foxy grin, "It's just you and me then Teme! I bet boredom!"

Sasuke shook his head, "Guess I'm destined to only win twenty silvers today. I also guessed boredom."

Sakura laughed and shook her head at their antics, "You're both wrong!"

"Eh?" The trio responded.

"I was sighing because of extreme extreme _extreme_ boredom!"

Everyone laughed at those words.

"Neh, why are you so bored Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked. Even though Naruto talked normally again around Sakura, the slight tint of red around his cheeks confirmed his awkward emotions.

She didn't know how to respond. After kicking out Neji and Shikamaru, Sakura had stayed secluded in her courtyard for a few days, refusing to see any visitors. If it wasn't for the fact that Itachi was almost completely healed, she probably would have let him visit for the healing sessions.

It was now a week later, and she told her guards to no longer refuse any visitors. But even so, none had come. Until now that is.

"I'm more surprised that none of you are questioning my real identity." Sakura smoothly diverted the question.

Sai gave a stare, "Ahh… You're wearing female clothes. Looks less ugly on you, ugly."

"You just now noticed!" Naruto facepalmed.

Sasuke sat down on the table that Sakura was resting her head on, "We're teammates, making us sworn brothers. Except now, you're just a sworn sister instead. A sister that can send Naruto flying across a lake."

"Sakura-chan can't punch me over a lake!" Naruto immediately retorted.

The image of Naruto flying over a lake was so hilarious that Sakura couldn't help but giggle, "Want me to try? I have a pond right here." She gestured towards her koi filled pond.

Naruto gave the flowery waters a grimace, "I'll pass. Punch Sai instead."

Sai ignored the blonde and also sat down. Naruto grumbled but joined them. Now the four were all together.

Teammates… Sworn siblings… Sakura couldn't help but feel her heart warm at those words as she looked at the other three. Even though they now knew her real identity, nothing had changed, which was something she was grateful for.

"So why are you three here?" Sakura questioned.

"Cause we're bore-"

Sasuke kicked Naruto from under the table, "You missed the last team practice. So we're here to pass you some news."

News? That got Sakura confused.

"Konoha is hosting this year's Martial Arts Tournament a month." Sai explained, "And Pervert-sensei said he's signed us all up to participate the Chunin level."

"Really?" Sakura leaned forward, eager to hear more.

After the Second World War, a tentative alliance was formed between the countries involved. One of the clauses to the treaty involved what is now considered the biggest event every year.

The Martial Arts Tournament.

It was initially meant as a form of trust. By allowing each country's best warriors to participate, it was their way of playing their hand and showing their militaristic power. Proof that there was no secrecy between the countries. However, the originally peaceful intention of the tournament has now grown to be one of the biggest forms of competition between all the countries with their pride at stake. It had gotten so popular that even countries that were not a part of the war are now participating in the tournament.

Sakura had never been able to even watch the Martial Arts Tournament because each time the tournament came about, she was woefully in a different country. This year Sakura was lucky that the tournament was in Konoha. However, even though she never saw it, the tournament was so popular that gossip over the tournament would always spread far and wide, and Sakura loved listening to the stories of the tournament.

Speaking of gossip of previous tournaments…

Sakura, with a start, suddenly looked at Sasuke with a gleam in her eyes.

"Last year's tournament in Iwagakure of The Land of Earth, I heard that the winner of the tournament was a prince from Konoha. Don't tell me…"

Sasuke puffed up his chest with pride as if he was the one who won, "That's right, it was aniki who won the tournament."

Unbeknownst to Itachi, Sakura's opinion of him just went up several fold.

"Were you there when it happened?" She asked, her eyes glimmering with excitement. Even though this was the same Itachi that Sakura normally joked around with. She felt like they were talking about a mysterious celebrity.

"Of course," Sasuke smirked, "The match was amazing."

But before Sasuke could recount the events of the match, Naruto interrupted him, "Tell her later, Sai and I have heard you recount this a million times, and we were there too."

"We won't be able to fight against Itachi though," Sai told Sakura, "He'll be in the Jonin bracket while we're in Chunin."

The Martial Arts Tournament was divided into three groups based on age: Genin, Chunin, and Jonin. Those from age 10-14 were allowed to participate in Genin. Ages 15-19 were Chunin, and those above 20 were allowed to participate in the Jonin bracket.

Even though Itachi was 19 during last year's tournament, he was allowed to participate in the Jonin bracket as an exception and was still able to win. For someone so young and still be able to win the tournament, the countries were all shocked. Rumors spread like wildfire and Itachi's popularity rose to the heavens. It was even known that during the match, Itachi's graceful moves and good looks caused half the female members of the crowd to faint while the other half couldn't stop yelling out and declaring their undying love for him.

"Jonin huh…" Sakura contemplated, "I guess the fact that Itachi's not in our age bracket is considered a good thing?"

Sasuke sniffed, "That doesn't mean that we don't have scary competitors of our own for the Chunin section."

"Ahh! Are you talking about him?" Naruto exclaimed, "Last year's winner of the Genin section? That's right, he's the same age as us."

"Who?" Sakura asked.

"Gaara Sabaku," Sasuke's eyes narrowed, "From Sunagakure."

* * *

Hello my wonderful readers~

It's finally spring break! I finally have (some) free time! I want to cry at how stressful the past weeks/month has been.

Next chapter will be a special one, where you, my dear readers, will pick what character will show up. And I'm sure you all can guess, the next chapter will involve sparring with Sakura :)

Just leave a review stating who you want to see with Sakura and they will be the character/suitor of the chapter! I'll pick the most popular one after 24 hours or so since that's usually when I get my reviews. And I'll write up the chapter as fast as possible! Consider this as my apology because my busy schedule has made it that I can't update as often as I want. I hope my readers will forgive me!

Cheers,

WhiteMint


	21. The Surprise Spar

Summary: In the imperial capital of Konoha, it was the norm for men to reign supreme while wives and concubines lived in seclusion like elegant flowers inside a locked garden. However, everything changed when one pink-haired medic entered the capital. Ancient Chinese AU SakuraxMulti

* * *

Chapter 21: The Surprise Spar

* * *

It was a lovely morning where three maidens were sitting together drinking tea in the inner courtyard of the Yamanaka residence. In the previous day when Sakura was chatting with her teammates, a messenger suddenly arrived bearing an invitation from Ino to visit for tea. Sakura had eagerly accepted the invite, telling the messenger that she will be there. And now, she was sitting with Ino and Hinata as they enjoyed their jasmine tea.

Once all the pastries and refreshments were served, Ino told all of her handmaidens to leave.

"Tenten, just sit with us, no one's around now," Ino beckoned to the brunette that was standing behind Sakura.

While Tenten was flustered over how to respond, Sakura pulled her down onto an empty chair, "You are all acquainted?"

Hinata nodded her head, "Tenten-chan was with us at the Academy when we were young."

"Ahh, I see."

The Academy in Konoha was open to all nobility and upper class merchants who could afford the tuition. Even though it was expensive to attend, many flocked to the chance to go since it was the best way for networking and establishing connections at a young age with other nobility. A friendship in the Academy could mean a valuable ally in the government. For Tenten to be able to attend, she must have had a sponsor.

Sakura's curious gaze prompted Tenten to give an embarrassed laugh as she explained, "My father is the head blacksmith for the Imperial Palace. As a reward for making the emperor's favorite sword, I was allowed to attend the Academy for a better education."

"So that's why you're so good with weapons!" Sakura's smile was like an open flower, "You probably grew up around a lot of different weapons."

"Eh?" Tenten was flabbergasted. The princess already knew about her weapons?

Sakura giggled at poked Tenten's side, a metallic sound confirming her words, "I've carried hidden weapons myself quite a few times. I can see the tell-tale marks."

Tenten was so shocked that she felt like she could see stars. Busted… She was caught so easily… Tenten mentally apologized to Iruka-sensei whom entrusted her to this job.

"When did you…"

"Hm? I've known since I first met you." Sakura nibbled on a small cookie.

She never had a chance… Deep down, tears streamed down Tenten's eyes from the embarrassment.

"Yep, Tenten was the best in the Academy with weapons. She was even the highest ranked girl during the Genin tournament last year, reaching the semi-finals." Ino added as an input.

"Speaking of which, will you be attending Sakura-chan?" Hinata asked.

"That's right!" Sakura grinned, "I'll try my best! What about you three?"

One of the perks about the tournament was that it was open to all. As long as you wished to fight and represent your country, anyone rich or poor could join. There were even cases when someone from a poor village background shone in the tournament and was able to get recruited into the army or accepted as a disciple to a master martial artist.

It was also due to Tenten's wonderful performance in the tournament that she was hired to become Sakura's maid and bodyguard.

Ino gave a positively evil grin, ruining her beautiful looks, "Of course! Maybe I'll be able to fight you forehead."

Hinata gave a rueful smile, "I'm not strong enough to participate in the Chunin section. So I'll only be watching."

The three girls then turned to Tenten, who looked hesitant, "I'm not sure if I'm allowed to or if I have to stay by Sakura-hime's side. I'll have to ask."

Before the situation could get awkward, Ino gave a saucy wink, "During your time with Forehead girl here, what good looking suitors have you seen?"

"Ino!" Hinata gasped, looking horrified at her friend's scandalous words, "You're a noblewoman!"

"What? No one's around, I hate acting graceful and demure all the time!" Ino stuck out her tongue, "The Forehead princess here has the luxury of all the high class eye candy clamoring for her attention. I'm so jealous~"

Since Tenten was shocked speechless, Sakura was the only one who could reply, "I don't have that many suitors." And seeing Ino's sarcastic glance, Sakura immediately corrected her words, "I haven't met that many suitors face to face. Only a few."

"How is Neji-niisan as a suitor?" Hinata gave a worried look. She still remembered the time Neji came back to the compound looking uncharacteristically stressed.

"Neji's such a stick in the mud!" Ino immediately retorted, "You should marry Shika. Even though he's a lazy ass, he'll make sure you're treated properly!"

"Shikamaru's not a suitor! He's just a friend!" Sakura's face became as pink as her namesake.

"Seriously? He isn't actively courting you?" Ino couldn't wait to tease her childhood friend about this. This was too good to be true.

Maybe it was the relaxed vibe in the air, but even Tenten brought up her own opinion, "I think the favorites are Prince Itachi and the Prime Minister Pein."

"So many good hunks twisted around your finger! I didn't know you had it in you. Who knew men liked big foreheads and pink hair?" Ino looked like a cat that was fed cream with the new gossip.

Even Hinata was blushing at the thought of Sakura being pursued by those two powerful and intimidating men.

Sakura's face was now as red as a tomato.

And so, the rest of the morning was filled with gossip and laughter between the four girls.

…

Sakura tried to catch her breath as she stared at the tree in front of her that was now missing quite a bit of bark, courtesy of her punches. She thought about her teammates words after they told her of the martial arts tournament.

" _We should all do private training so that it'll be more fun during the tournament!" Naruto smiled, looking excited, "I'll make a new special technique!"_

" _Pulling out an erotic picture to give the opponent a nose bleed doesn't count," Sasuke retorted._

" _Teme! I'll do better than that!" Was the immediate response._

Because all of the members of Team Seven decided to do their own training, Sakura decided to start immediately after the morning tea party at Ino's residence. Since her own courtyard was filled with pretty flowers and trees, it wasn't meant for the damage that would no doubt happen if Sakura trained seriously. So after asking Tenten about a more appropriate place for Sakura to train in, the princess was now in a small forested area in the back of the palace grounds.

Tenten was standing on the side with towels and some tea in case Sakura needed to take a break. A luxury that Sakura found funny since when she trained with Team Seven, nothing of the sort was prepared for them.

Shaking her head, the pink-haired princess concentrated on what she needed to do for the tournament.

A new martial arts move… Sakura honestly couldn't think of anything.

Sakura wasn't a much of a martial artist, but she could hold her own in spars between her teammates. What she was missing, was something special that the others had. Sasuke had the perks of a Sharingan. Naruto's Uzumaki lineage gave him a giant well of a chakra supply. And even though Sai never awoke his Sharingan, his skill and techniques were insanely fast, making his moves a blur.

But for Sakura… She honestly didn't have anything aside from her chakra-enhanced strength. It was good enough for her travels in fighting the occasional bandit, but against the best martial artists in all the countries that will participate, she felt like she didn't have much to offer.

Tsunade had been a lazy martial artist, relying on brute force for everything. Orochimaru only taught Sakura how to sneak around and hide, not confrontational head to head fighting. And Jiraiya was not someone you wanted teaching martial arts unless you wanted to be groped at random times.

Sighing, Sakura once again resumed her sequence of punches and kicks that Kakashi had taught them recently. It wouldn't hurt to at least familiarize herself with the basics. As she was aimlessly attacking the air, her right foot suddenly stopped and Sakura stared at the person who stopped her.

"What are you doing here?" Her mouth blurted out before she could stop herself.

A single eyebrow lifted up sardonically, "Am I not allowed in my own palace?"

The words were stuck in Sakura's throat as she stared at the man -no _emperor_ in front of her still holding her leg.

The Uchiha emperor carelessly dropped his hold as Sakura observed the situation in front of her. Even though Sakura had been zoning out during her training, she hadn't been unguarded. She had always prided herself at her ability to detect chakra, which was further assured when she first noticed Kakashi guarding her. But to think that Madara was able to get so close to her without her detecting was shocking. And to even stop her kick that had used her full non-chakra strength so easily. The emperor was clearly a master of the martial arts.

"I'm training for the Martial Arts Tournament, if that is fine with your majesty?" Sakura instantly gave a slight curtsey as she remembered her manners.

"The tournament is open to all, so there is no need to ask for this king's permission." Madara coolly replied.

Sakura was once again speechless. These words are coming from the man who assigned so many guards to watch her every move! The least he could do would be to act- act…

She didn't know how she wanted him to act towards her.

Like a guardian? Or a suitor? Did she want him to care about her? Or would she prefer indifference?

The words the two shared numbered less than fifty. Even though her title made her technically one that should be close to the emperor, Sakura honestly didn't know the man in front of her. Aside from assuring her safety and comfort, the Uchiha emperor had done nothing else about her. Her strange actions such as forcing Kakashi to train her had always been ignored, giving her more courage to perform independent acts. But because she hasn't crossed the line, it just made Sakura more wary about how to act around the emperor.

Just what did he want?

Even though Madara told Sakura that he would join her for dinner more often, he never did after that one time. The indifference in his actions just made Sakura confused until she finally decided that he truly didn't plan on pursuing her and that his kiss was nothing more than a convoluted joke.

And now that he was standing in front of her, his phoenix black eyes staring at her messy state caused by training, Sakura had no idea on what to do. In the end, she always had her guard up around him.

The silence was broken – surprisingly – by him.

"Your last kick was done incorrectly."

Sakura blinked.

"In that sequence, it should be performed like this." And Madara proceeded to show her a flurry of punches and kicks, copying her moves but with a much smoother form.

Now she saw it. Her kick had been too high. And the mistake would have made the transition to the next punch more awkward and off on the timing. Something an opponent would no doubt take advantage of.

"Now you try," Madara commanded after finishing.

Blushing with embarrassment, Sakura once again performed the series of moves.

This time, he stopped her before she even reached the kick.

"Your left elbow should be tucked in at this step."

Over and over again, Sakura had to repeat her moves.

By the time Madara was finally satisfied with her performance, an hour had already passed and Sakura was dripping with sweat from the exertion.

By then, Tenten offered Sakura a towel which the princess gratefully accepted and wiped off her sweat from her face. Sakura looked at the emperor, who was now sitting on a log as if it was the most comfortable couch in the world. Even though he himself had to demonstrate many times to Sakura the proper method, he looked completely fine with not even a single strand of hair out of place. If someone told Sakura that he spent the past hour doing nothing but reading a book instead of martial arts, Sakura would have believed them.

The contrast between the two made Sakura feel like she lost somehow as a human being.

"Will your majesty be participating in the tournament?" Sakura tried to sound casual. It wouldn't hurt to try to have small talk with the emperor.

Madara's face was completely straight even though the words were far from modest, "This king has no need for the first place prize. There's no point in wasting this king's precious time."

Arrogant to the extreme! Sakura could feel a dark shadow on her head. This man seriously thought he was the strongest? There are some seriously strong competitors! Don't dismiss them so easily! And how on earth would he be so strong when he spends most of his day with his butt on the gold dragon throne?

"For you though, first place would be a far cry." Madara continued.

A vein popped up on Sakura's forehead as she forced the words out of her gritted teeth, "Your majesty hasn't sparred with me, so on what basis are you deciding my future placement in the tournament?"

Madara shrugged, indifference and arrogance in his demeanor like a God looking down on a poor mortal, "Based on how slowly it took for you to learn the simple martial arts sequence. But… If this princess wishes to spar, this king will be happy to oblige." And a smirk slowly formed on his face, making him look devastatingly handsome and arrogant.

Sakura threw down the towel, anger clearly written on her face, "Very well, this princess will have to trouble you." Before she ran at him with a chakra-enlaced punch even though he was still sitting at the log.

Emperor or not, she wanted to wipe that arrogance off his face.

One hour later, Sakura was now kneeling on the forest floor panting as sweat dripped down onto the ground. She was a complete mess and her entire body was burning with lactic acid. No matter what technique she used, whether it was through brute force or with hidden shots, Madara was able to counter them all.

And to make things worse, he never sat off from his seat on the log. That damn bastard.

Sakura looked up at the emperor who was currently looking down on her with his legs crossed and a fan that he used to leisurely fan himself.

He suddenly turned his fan around and graced Sakura's tired self with the cooling breeze of air. It felt very comfortable.

"Be grateful. This king doesn't fan just anyone."

She was being pitied! Any happiness she felt from the cool breeze immediately evaporated. If anything, it made Sakura feel even worse…

Sakura sighed as she gave up and plopped down on the roots of a nearby tree. Princess title be damned, she was in no mood to look graceful. Especially since her princess self was dirty with twigs and leaves in her hair.

"Would you like a suggestion?" Madara gave Sakura an amused look. If the court officials were around, every single one would have broken out in cold sweat at the hint of a smile of Madara's face. The Uchiha emperor was one that never showed a smile of any sort, so for Sakura to see any form of affection - sadistic or not - was a once in a lifetime chance. Even though she did not know it to appreciate it.

"What?" Sakura curtly responded. She was annoyed with him, but his strength was obvious and any advice would probably be incredibly helpful with her training.

"This king has once seen Tsunade cut a person with her chakra on her hands," Madara decided to omit that the person was his own younger brother, "Can you do the same?"

"Yes," Sakura replied, confused, "Chakra scalpel. What about it?"

In fact, when fighting Madara, she had tried doing it to cut his nerves but was unsuccessful.

The emperor got up and used his fan to wipe non-existent dust from his robes, "If you can do the same on your feet, you might be able to advance further in the tournament."

Her feet? Sure she used chakra to enhance her kicks, but a chakra scalpel? Sakura blinked at the thought. Since she only used chakra scalpels for surgeries and rarely used them for fighting, she had never considered forming them at her feet. But if she did, it would probably lengthen the range of her kicks. And if opponents were unaware and only tried to barely dodge her kicks, she'd be able to nick them with a scalpel…

This was it.

The secret move that she could use for the tournament.

She felt excitement surge through her body, and she was eager to test it out immediately.

Sakura lifted her head as she was about to thank Madara, but to her surprise, the emperor was already gone.

"Eh?" Sakura turned her head left and right. But he was nowhere to be seen.

"Sakura-hime!" It was Tenten rushing back with some clean towels and a small cape. After seeing Sakura's messy state, Tenten had left after the spar to get items so that Sakura's walk back to her courtyard would not be in her disgracefully messy state.

As Tenten combed Sakura's hair free of any leaves, Sakura absentmindedly wiped her face with the damp towel, refreshing herself.

Why did the emperor come see her practice? It surely wasn't out of boredom. Since the Konoha was hosting the Martial Arts Tournament, everyone in court was practically swimming in work. Pein had even sent her a message apologizing and stating that he wouldn't be able to visit until at least after the tournament was over due to insufficient free time. And Sakura was sure the emperor was equally, if not more, busy.

It was most likely why the emperor never visited again for dinner even though he said he would.

So was it his way of apologizing?

Sakura gave an unladylike snort, surprising Tenten in her brushing.

Impossible. There was no way the emperor was the type to do that. Sakura decided to dismiss the idea and no longer gave it a thought.

…

Pein was extremely agitated even though his face was as blank as always. Where on earth did the emperor disappear to? As he tried to make order among the officials scurrying around, he could feel a headache forming.

"I need the emperor's approval for the foreign merchants that wish to set up temporary shops in Konoha for the tournament!"

"No! I was here first! I need to talk to the emperor about the city security plans for the tournament!"

"My issue is more important! There are some foreign kings and dignitaries that are arriving earlier than scheduled! We need to immediately prepare appropriate accommodations for them!"

Pein ignored the temptation to rub his temples. It would only be showing a sign of weakness. That damn man. How come the minute Madara disappears the court is filled with issues that requires the imperial seal to resolve?

Before Pein could order another servant to look for Madara, the man appears, calm and cold as always as he goes to sit on the throne.

"Your majesty was gone for a long time," Pein couldn't hide the bitterness in his voice.

Madara smoothly replied, "This king was just out on a walk."

"Now," Madara's voice addressed the court as everyone fell silent, "One at a time, state the issues."

* * *

Hello my dear readers,

As promised, I wrote the next chapter as fast as possible! Since different people wanted different characters, I ultimately took up sakura souzen's challenge and had Madara be the one to spar with Sakura :)

The next chapter will introduce Gaara~ And yes, the tournament is just a grand setting for all the other characters to appear that people are hoping for.

Cheers,

WhiteMint


	22. The Sand Siblings

Summary: In the imperial capital of Konoha, it was the norm for men to reign supreme while wives and concubines lived in seclusion like elegant flowers inside a locked garden. However, everything changed when one pink-haired medic entered the capital. Ancient Chinese AU SakuraxMulti

* * *

Chapter 22: The Sand Siblings

* * *

"Ne, Shikamaru," Sakura asked, fiddling with her white go piece, "Shouldn't you be busy right now?"

The Nara heir in question didn't look the slightest bit guilty, "I'm skipping work."

"…"

Now Sakura Haruno was a person who by now knew Shikamaru quite well. Even though the lazy Nara tried to avoid work at all times, he was generally one who would complete whatever task was assigned, grumbling the entire way if he had to. It was due to this trait that the emperor had assigned Shikamaru with tracking down Tsunade, even though Tsunade had tried with all her might to stay in hiding.

For Shikamaru to skip work like this when the palace was incredibly busy with preparations for the tournament meant that there was probably a personal reason behind it.

"What did the emperor assign you to do today?" Sakura bluntly asked.

Shikamaru looked left, and he looked right, but he couldn't avoid the princess's boring gaze, "He hasn't assigned me to do anything."

Sakura didn't believe him in the slightest, "Very well, I'll correct my question. What does the emperor plan to assign you to do today? If you're going so far as to even avoid the messengers that will give you the task."

He was caught. Shikamaru sighed, "Too troublesome…"

"… Spit it out Shika."

"He wants me to guide the Sand Siblings around Konoha."

Sakura recognized the names from the time when she lived in the Land of the Wind, "Ohh, the two princes and princess? What's so bad about being a guide?"

Shikamaru cringed at the memory, "The princess, Temari Subaku, wants revenge."

"Revenge?" Based on Sakura's memories, the Princess of the Sunagakure was a calm and collected woman with great talent in martial arts. She didn't seem like the type that would want to get revenge.

"I beat her in last year's tournament," Shikamaru replied blandly.

"I feel like there's more to it than that…" Sakura narrowed her eyes at her friend.

The Nara heir coughed as he looked away while mumbling, "I may have suggested that there was no way I'd lose to a woman before the match even started."

"… I don't know what to say."

"Blame Naruto, he was the one who forced me to fight even though I wanted to forfeit."

And speak of the devil, he will come.

"Sakura-chan! Let's go out to the marketplace!" A cheerful blonde haired and blue eyed young man walked into Sakura's place accompanied the rest of Sakura's teammates.

"Hello to you too Naruto." Sakura waved, "Sasuke, Sai."

"Hn," Sasuke nodded in response.

Sai, however, was not looking her way, "Ugly, it seems you don't have bad taste." As he nodded towards the art scrolls depicting mountains and rivers that were hanging on her living room walls.

"Hm?" Sakura glanced at what he was looking at, "Yes, the paintings? I like them a lot."

Sai walked towards them as he looked confused, "These are old, I made them when I was ten. I can paint you some better ones. I thought I threw these away?"

"Huh?" The entire room was silent.

"Sai…" Sakura finally responded, "You… Painted these?"

No way in hell. These were the art of the most well-known painter in Konoha that was also the most mysterious. No one knows of the painter's identity but all that was known was that occasionally, his work would appear in the market randomly and people would clamor to buy them.

His unknown identity made his work all the more popular, because people feared that if they didn't buy it now, they might never be able to again.

Naruto, however, was not one to know about art though, "Sai, you paint? How come we never knew?" Sasuke dumbly nodded.

"Ahh, it's a hobby of mine," was Sai's response.

After minutes of confusion, everyone pieced together their knowledge and the mystery was solved.

"So you're saying," Sakura summarized, "That you paint calligraphy art for fun but you've never really liked how they turn out so you always throw them away."

Sai nodded, "Shisui-nii would always volunteer to throw them away for some reason. Always forcing me to keep them until he could come pick them up."

"I've heard rumors that most of the art were found by people randomly bumping into them in antique shops," Shikamaru drawled, "You brother probably thought it was a waste to throw them away and has been subtly donating them here and there."

"Waste? It's just random paintings." Sai didn't understand.

Dark shadows covered everyone's face at those words. The master painter of Konoha, rumored to be the greatest artist of all time, his identity shrouded in mystery, turned out to be this emotionally constipated asshole…

Sasuke broke the silence, "We can't let people find out."

The others glumly nodded their heads.

…

The marketplace was livelier than ever, with foreign vendors and tourists that have come to either watch the competition or to participate.

The air smelled of exotic spices from different food carts and Sakura could feel herself drooling at the thought of eating the different cuisine that was not native to Konoha.

Turning around, she laughed at the miserable expression of her close friend that had been dragged along to Team Seven's marketplace adventure, "Hey Shikamaru, doesn't it look fun? There are even dancers from The Land of Wind!" And she nodded at the scantily dressed belly dancers that were performing on the streets.

Shikamaru, who hated everything that had to do with crowds and loud noise, was regretting letting the princess coax him into joining. "It's too crowded and noisy, what if we start losing each other?"

Sakura gave a confused tilt to her head, "That's why we're all holding hands" and held up her right hand that was holding onto Shikamaru's left. Her other hand was held by Naruto, who was miraculously dragging everyone through the crowd in an unbelievable speed.

Even if he was under Ino's interrogation, Shikamaru would never admit that he enjoyed holding the princess's hand, which was the only reason why he was putting up with this.

Naruto suddenly let go of Sakura's hand with a quick, "I'll be right back!" leaving Sakura and Shikamaru alone. He immediately took advantage of the opportunity to walk to the space between two booths, giving both of them some breathing space from the crowds.

"I feel like I'm going to die," Shikamaru groaned, staring at the crowd of people and feeling claustrophobic.

Sakura's laughter was a tinkling of silver bells as she poked fun at her lazy friend.

"Oji-san! Two cups of rice drink please!" She called out to the vendor that they were next to.

"Of course! For a pretty young lass like you, you must be thirsty from wandering around," A cheerful old stall vendor gave Sakura two cups of the sweet drink while accepting her coins.

One of the cups was shoved near Shikamaru's face while Sakura sipped on the other one, "Cheer up Shika, the fun's only started!"

Taking the drink, Shikamaru studied the young princess that was standing barely a foot away from him due to the cramped space they were in. They were both nobles and the proximity was far too close for propriety such that he could even smell the sweet scent of flowers and herbs that was distinctly Sakura. Shikamaru couldn't help feeling a little nervous, but his eyes and brain felt like they had to take in this moment and memorize it.

Her light pink and white dress robes were plain silk and had little embroidery. Her braided hair was slightly messy due to moving through the crowds and the hair that was loosened framed her oval face. Her face was devoid of makeup, but it seemed to only make her more beautiful in a refreshing sort of way compared to the other noble women. By looking at the gleam in Sakura's emerald eyes and the slight flush of her cheeks, Shikamaru knew that she was happier than ever. Even though he understood that Sakura enjoyed their quiet games of chess and go back at the palace, he now knew that only when she's outside and free, did she truly enjoy her life.

"… If you married me, you could go outside any time you wanted." The words left his mouth subconsciously.

"Hm? Did you say something?" Sakura had been scanning the crowds looking for her teammates, and did not catch those words.

Before Shikamaru could repeat or deny saying anything, Naruto had found them.

"Sakura-chan! I bought this at a stand just now, I thought it suited you," Naruto grinned as he handed her a small hairpin.

It was a silver hairpin with bright green leaves and white flowers made of glass. One look at the bright clear glass confirmed that it was a product from Suna.

"Thank you Naruto!" Sakura exclaimed, admiring the hairpin.

"Eh he he," Naruto sheepishly scratched the back of his head, a slight tinge of red on his cheeks that didn't escape the Nara's eyes.

Does Naruto like her too? Shikamaru couldn't help but wonder. First the emperor, then Prince Itachi, and recently he found out that the Prime Minister and Hyuga clan heir were also in the running for Sakura's hand in marriage. With so many people in the competition, Shikamaru couldn't help but feel inadequate. Also, he didn't want to lose the close friendship that they currently had by declaring his slowly growing feelings towards the princess.

As Shikamaru was lost in his thoughts, Sakura tugged on his sleeve, bringing him back to reality, "Naruto says there's something really interesting in the Orchid Inn! Let's go see!"

Naruto nodded excitedly, "Teme says that he heard a nobleman from the Land of Frost brought along a white fox pet, and he's letting everyone admire it."

"Ah, ok" Shikamaru dumbly nodded as he was once again dragged through the crowds, but this time to the Orchid Inn.

When they reached the inn, it was even more crowded than outside, if it could be possible. The three quickly saw Sasuke and Sai standing on the second floor patio of the inn, waving them over. It seemed that the white fox was upstairs. After much effort, they reached the two Uchihas.

"Took you all long enough," Sasuke looked annoyed, even though it was hard to tell from his blank face.

Before Naruto could retort, a loud voice called out through the crowd.

"NARUTO-NII!"

"Ah! Konohamaru!" Naruto turned around and looked at the young boy of ten that was running through the crowd towards them.

"!"

It was really a remarkable coincidence. Since the second floor was extremely crowded, Konohamaru's exuberant run had forced some people to move out of the way, pushing Sakura to the edge of the railing. But before she could catch her balance, the thin wooden rails broke and she soon found herself falling.

This height was nothing to Sakura, who could easily land safely onto the ground with her chakra. Since her teammates understood that too, they weren't horrified at her fall and merely worriedly watched for her to land down. If they tried to catch her, they might end up getting in the way instead. But before she could orient herself mid-air to calculate her landing, someone had jumped up from the streets and caught her.

Staring at the situation now, Shikamaru couldn't help but think of the words his friend who liked to gossip too much said to him just yesterday.

" _If you don't get her now, maybe a foreign prince will sweep her off her feet!" Ino had teased him._

So troublesome. Who knew that her words would come true so quickly and accurately, Shikamaru couldn't help but think while looking at the people below him. People he recognized quite well.

"Eh?" Sakura blankly stared at the person whose arms were currently carrying her in a bridal position. Pale jade eyes ringed with black stared impassively down at her. The man had short and messy dark red hair that didn't cover the black tattoo of the kanji for love on his forehead. The texture of his maroon clothes were not of the silk common in Konoha, but the cotton of Suna. And strapped onto his body by a thick leather belt was an enormous gourd made of clay.

While she was studying him, he did the same. An arrogant smirk graced his lips as he drawled out, "Pink hair and green eyes, it seems that the maiden I've caught is none other than the famed First Princess of Konoha."

"Sakura-chan! Are you ok?" Naruto cried out as he quickly jumped down onto the street with Sasuke and Sai following him.

"Is she yours?" Gaara looked up before tossing Sakura's figure at Naruto.

Naruto quickly fumbled to catch the princess and set her down to her feet, blushing at the feeling of holding her, "Gaara! What's your problem! Don't just throw people around."

Apathetic jade eyes looked back at the cerulean blue ones, "She looks fine to me. What are you complaining about?"

Naruto grimaced as he ruefully couldn't help but agree. If any other person had fallen down on top of Gaara back when he was younger, they'd be lucky to still be alive. Back when Gaara first met Naruto, he was a ruthless and blood-thirsty kid and was the fear of every citizen in Sunagakure. But after becoming friends, Gaara had toned down a little.

But not by much.

"So are you all participating in the tournament?" Gaara emotionlessly asked.

Naruto, with his big heart, immediately warmed up to Gaara's question, as if he hadn't just thrown Sakura like a sandbag, "Yep! We're all participating! I'll beat you this time dattebayo!"

Another young man that had been standing with Gaara spoke up, "Oh? Even the princess will be participating?" It was Kankuro, Gaara's older sibling.

Standing behind Sasuke, Sakura couldn't help but look at the paint designs that covered the man's face before turning her attention to the third member of Gaara's group: a blonde woman with her hair pulled up in four ponytails.

But unlike the other two men, her attention was actually on the patio that Sakura had just fallen from, "I know you're up there. There's no point in hiding!" She yelled, glaring at a wooden pillar.

As everyone looked up, a lazy voice drawled up, "What a coincidence, meeting the famed Wind Princess." And Shikamaru finally showed himself that was originally hiding behind the pillar. He then calmly jumped down to join Sakura looking as if he hadn't been spending a large amount of effort in trying to avoid the Sand Siblings in front of them.

Right when Temari was about to chide the Nara that was standing next to the Konoha Princess, Gaara had suddenly disappeared, only to reappear in front of Sakura.

Naruto and Sasuke turned around in anger and surprise but they stopped when they saw Gaara's hand gently wrapped around Sakura's throat. The touch was so soft that it seemed like a lover's caress, but the action brought fear to everyone involved.

"A weak princess like you should just stay at in the pretty little palace like a good girl, not in a dangerous marketplacce" Gaara murmured to Sakura, his face inches away from hers.

In the very next breath, Gaara released his hold to stop the kunai that was coming down on him with expert precision. It seemed to have been thrown from somewhere on a roof.

"Relax, I'm not going to harm her yet... Though there's no guarantee if I meet her in the tournament." Gaara smirked.

And with those words, he calmly walked back towards his siblings, "Let's go."

Kankuro followed while Temari took a second to glare at Shikamaru before leaving.

* * *

Hello my dear readers~

Since I felt guilty for not being able to write so often due to school, I churned out these three chapters so that you all know that I'm not dead haha! I'll be travelling back to my parents place for the rest of spring break so there may or may not be more chapters. At least, it won't be the chapter a day speed.

For those worried about possible Naruto and Sakura. I'll repeat: it won't happen! Some readers really wanted Naruto as a suitor so I promised them some interactions between the two, but that's all that will happen.

This chapter is the introduction of the next suitor Gaara! After that will probably be C, and for those that might get confused, read my side story for the background between C and Sakura. I'll have Kimimaru and Haku come out sooner or later. But remember, I'm only human! I can only write so fast!

Cheers,

WhiteMint

* * *

When I was first writing this chapter, I ended up making Gaara a predator-like character. I'm not sure how it happened, but it just did. Maybe my mind is a gutter and I'm secretly a M. After a while of contemplation, I decided to not go that route.

But if the readers are interested, and if the Gaara fans want some fan-service, this is what was originally written:

 _While she was studying him, he did the same. An arrogant smirk graced his lips as he drawled out, "Pink hair and green eyes, it seems that the maiden I've caught is none other than the famed First Princess of Konoha."_

 _He bent his head down, his lips to her ears as he whispered, "Shouldn't you be tucked inside the palace like the delicate flower that you're named after? The world is filled with people that could take advantage of a princess… Like me." And as if to emphasize those words, the man lightly bit her ear._

 _Sakura stiffened as she could feel the slight graze of his canine and she quickly pushed him away only to fall onto the ground. Her first reaction after getting away from his arms was to cover the place where she was bitten and stare at him with eyes widened with disbelief, "You! You…!"_

" _What about me?" The grin on his face was clearly that of a predator._

" _Gaara! Don't mess with her!" Naruto shouted as he jumped down to land next to Sakura. Helping her stand up, Naruto looked annoyed, "Were you whispering something to her?"_

 _Sakura's emerald eyes avoided his sharp jade ones as she stood behind her teammates that had followed Naruto and dusted off the dirt from her clothes._

" _Nothing much," Gaara replied as he licks his lower lip, revealing an unsatisfied expression._

 _His green sharp cheetah-like eyes were fixed on Sakura's embarrassed face and flushed pink cheeks, as if he wanted to take another bite._


	23. The Childhood Bully

Summary: In the imperial capital of Konoha, it was the norm for men to reign supreme while wives and concubines lived in seclusion like elegant flowers inside a locked garden. However, everything changed when one pink-haired medic entered the capital. Ancient Chinese AU SakuraxMulti

* * *

Chapter 23: The Childhood Bully

* * *

Sakura was humming a happy tune as she walked away from the Imperial kitchens with her latest procurements. In each hand was a large meat bun while the third was being held by her mouth. As she walked, the servants ignored her as they rushed around performing their tasks. Even though the First Princess was nearby, no one paid attention.

The reason? Her newest disguise.

Today, Haruno Sakura had decided to dress in the male robes of a common page boy frequently seen in the palace. People were starting to get suspicious of her maid outfit now that she was better known among the servants so she decided to take the disguise another notch and change her gender.

It was also a stroke of luck that even though the head cook of the palace was a strict granny, her male appearance somehow reminded the head cook of her grandson and Sakura's spoils were three meat buns instead of one.

Even though Sakura's status made it easy for her to just order the servants to get her the snacks, she was the type that preferred sneaking into the kitchens herself for the food. It made the food tastier if she procured it herself, in Sakura's opinion.

After a bit of wandering, Sakura found a nice secluded spot underneath a willow tree that was just perfect for her to eat her food. Placing her meat buns into a silk handkerchief, she sat down and was about to grab her second bun when voices came within her hearing.

It can't be…

Looking up, Sakura peered through the willow branches and saw two people chatting while walking closer and closer to her spot. It was a noble and his servant.

Sakura was never one to curse, but now she wanted curse her bad luck.

Why is he here? That bully!

In a flash, Sakura grabbed her food and tucked the handkerchief into her sleeve pocket as she slowly walked away from the two people.

"Hey you, servant boy," One of the voices called out. It was the noble.

Sakura froze as the voice she hadn't heard in years called out to her. She looked left and she looked right, but there were no other servants around aside from her.

Argh! Why was she discovered at the last moment? How can she run away?

He didn't recognize her right?

Her hair was red and her male disguise was perfect. No way for him to tell, Sakura consoled herself in her mind.

She took too long to respond that the servant accompanying the noble walked to her and dragged her over.

"His Highness is asking you to come, you should come quickly!"

Highness? When was he anything so high up? No choice but to pretend to death.

"This servant is new here, just one that does odd jobs around the palace. Your humble servant will go back now!" Sakura bowed, trying to keep her face covered. Deep down, she was crying from resentment. But no matter what, she had to keep her servant façade.

If she hadn't been looking down, she would have seen a flash of amusement inside the man's black eyes before they were replaced with seriousness.

Nonchalantly, he said, "Seeing as you appear quite clever, stay by this prince's side and personally serve me."

Cold sweat dripped down her back as she nervously tried to get herself out of this predicament, "This servant is a lowly one who knows nothing. If your Highness wishes, this servant will go find a more suitable one to serve you."

Prince? Stay by his side?! Like hell she will!

The servant next to the 'prince' unwittingly answered the questions floating in her mind, in response to her words, "Servant. The person you're addressing is his Highness Shi Raikage, nephew to the Fourth Raikage and heir to the throne of Kumogakure. People in the Land of Lighting call him the Pharmaceutical King. Consider it your blessings that he's chosen you to serve him during his stay in Konoha for the Martial Arts Tournament. Refusal is out of the question!"

The sudden knowledge made Sakura want to cough out blood. Shi Raikage? Why did the herbal storage manager that Sakura always called "Big Brother C" suddenly turn into the heir to the throne? The ass had lied to her the entire time about his identity!

Memories of her time spent living in Kumogakure flashed by as Sakura wanted to punch herself at her obliviousness. All the times he spent reading and writing scrolls that he refused to let her look at, was it because they were court documents? Even though she always thought he was just another servant in the palace, his robes were plain, but not identical to the robes the other servants wore. And whenever they traveled around the city, citizens would treat Big Brother C with respect that bordered on reverence.

Dammit! It was all so obvious now that she thought about it.

She had been played for a fool!

Sakura quickly got onto her knees in the same method she had seen many others perform to her as she spoke with her head down close to the ground, "My apologies, this humble servant will obey!"

She'll have to sneak away the first chance she gets, Sakura contemplated as she started following the Prince Shi and his servant. As they walked, the three soon reached a gate that was labeled the Wisteria Courtyard. To her vague memory, Sakura realized that it was the courtyard assigned for the visiting emperor of the Land of Lightning. Since the Martial Arts Tournament was living proof of the truce between the countries, all the emperors were required to make the effort of travelling to watch each tournament as a sign of good faith. And nothing in the imperial city Konoha was worthy of housing such noble guests aside from the palace itself.

As those thoughts went through her head, Sakura vaguely hoped the she never chanced upon the Prince of Suna, who embarrassed her at the marketplace.

Inside the courtyard, the two men in front of her stopped at the edge of a large pond where a small boat was tied to shore. It was a cute little brown boat with a shiny exterior and velvet cushioned seats. Two oars were resting inside the boat so that one can row around the pond if they so chose to.

Shi casually stepped into the boat and sat down leisurely. Pointing at Sakura, he stated, "You there, page boy, row the boat for this prince." And a small smirk graced his normally blank face. Arrogance and haughtiness were clearly shown in his black eyes.

The other servant hesitated. The boat was clearly meant for only two people.

"Your highness, perhaps I shall…"

"No, I want him. You can wait by the shore."

After being shut down by the prince, the servant could only hold in his anger as he turned towards Sakura, "Be careful when rowing." And with a not too gentle shove along with a glare of jealousy, the servant pushed Sakura forwards so that she had no choice but to get onto the boat.

Deep down Sakura was whining. Why was the servant so jealous of innocent her for? Clearly the stupid 'Prince Shi' was the one who decided this. And he was the one being cruel and forcing a delicate maiden like her row to the stupid boat.

If Team Seven could hear her thoughts, they would probably choke on their drinks at the thought of Sakura referring to herself as 'delicate'.

But she was dressed a page boy so she must act like one. She must endure.

Grabbing the two oars with her small hands, Sakura started rowing the boat after the servant had untied it from the shore. "Where in the pond would your highness like to go?"

"Over there," Shi pointed to the location where long cattails grew… All the way at the end of the pond.

Endure…

With effort, Sakura rowed the boat, mentally cursing the person she called 'Big Brother C'. Even as she rowed, a seed of doubt was starting to sprout in her heart. Did he know her identity or not? Every time the stupid man gave her an order, there was a hint of laughter in his eyes that was nostalgic. Even now, he was staring at her as she rowed the boat with all her effort. Though the two were facing each other, Sakura kept avoiding the man's probing eyes. She didn't even care that it was practically giving away her guilt at hiding her identity.

By now, they were deep inside the lush cattails that surrounded them. With a sigh, Sakura stopped her rowing as she look expectantly at what the prince now wanted to do.

The man in question seemed to be looking at something intently in the waters, "What's that?"

Curious, Sakura looked into the depths. She didn't see anything aside from the cattails and water.

"This servant doesn't see anything unusual," Sakura replied.

"You aren't looking hard enough," was the impatient response, "Look closer." And he waved for her to keep looking.

Frowning, Sakura leaned towards the location that Shi was gesturing towards. She still didn't see anything.

Right when she was about to say so again, Sakura felt the boat tilting.

Crap! Since they were both looking in the same direction, their balance was no longer in the center of the boat! Before Sakura could adjust her position-

SPLASH!

The boat toppled over.

Bubbles swirled around her as Sakura found herself suddenly inside the murky depths of the pond. Surprise filled her brain as she flailed her arms around in the water. Ever since she learned how to stand on water with chakra, she had never swam again. And now, the shock made her clueless on what to do.

How does one swim again? Sakura was at least sure that her flailing was not the correct method.

Before she could think anymore, a dark figure swam towards her and started dragging her up.

"Gasp!" Sakura coughed as she was finally able to breathe fresh air. Her left arm was tightly wrapped to the neck of her savior as she tried to brush away her hair from her face and get her bearings straight. She was now floating above the water and to her right, she could see the boat that was now upside down.

"What's this? The servant boy suddenly turned into a cute princess? How remarkable."

The amused voice greeted her ears as her face flushed with embarrassment. No doubt after the dunking, her makeup and hair coloring was all gone. She glared at the man she was holding on to. His black eyes were laced with amusement and mock surprise.

"Stupid Big Brother C! You knew all along didn't you!? Stupid! Stupid!" Sakura pouted, her eyes a little teary at all the effort she had spent trying to fool him. She started pounding at his chest in embarrassment and shame. Once again, she was the sorry victim of his merciless bullying!

"Are you sure you want to let go of me?" Shi replied to her innocently.

Pausing at her temper tantrum, Sakura realized that she was now sinking again. With a welp, she quickly wrapped her arms around his neck to drag herself back up. She no longer felt like a young lady, but instead was the ten year old girl that depended on her Big Brother C for everything all over again.

Sakura leaned against the chest that was so familiar yet different from her memories, "When did you know?" She muttered and glared at him. She gave up on trying to escape from him.

Strong arms wrapped themselves around her waist, stabilizing her position, "I knew before I even saw you in your little servant boy getup."

Before they even met face to face? Curious emerald eyes looked at the clear black ones.

"Ow!" Sakura winced as her forehead was lightly flicked.

"Silly puppy, did you think you could hide from me? You never could back when we lived in Kumo."

That's right. Hide-and-seek was a game that the two played constantly, where she could hide anywhere in the castle at Kumogakure and he had to find her within half an hour. Never once did Big Brother C lose. Thinking on it now, Sakura understood that her male disguise was useless on him. He was a genius at tracking and detecting a person's chakra signature, no matter how they tried to hide it.

"Then why didn't you say so since the beginning?" Sakura pouted while rubbing her head where he flicked it with her hand, the look of a pitiful victim on her face.

"Because you tried to run away, my little puppy." If her forehead was blocked, he would just have to aim somewhere else, so Shi lightly pinched her nose.

"Big Brother! Stop it!" Sakura swatted at his hand. This stupid brother, always bullying her and messing around with her! This was exactly why she wanted to avoid him in the first place.

Shi chuckled at her face that was red with annoyance. He hadn't seen his angry puppy in years, and he couldn't help but tease her in order to rile her up again.

No longer bothering her face, Shi was now holding onto a lock of her wet hair. It had gotten much longer now, and the pink strands floated beautifully in the water.

Sakura relaxed since her face was now torture free, "Big brother, what are you doing in Konoha?"

Shi casually responded, "Many reasons. One of which is to participate in the tournament."

"Only one?" Sakura tilted her head in confusion.

Shi gave her a small smile, "Yep."

Sakura frowned, curiosity getting to the best of her, "What's the other reason?"

The young man leaned his head until both their foreheads were touching.

"The other reason… Is to marry you and bring you back to Kumo."

* * *

Hello my dear readers!

With much happiness, I've brought Shi back into the story! For those who don't know his background, read my side-story "A Noble in Secret" to understand the childhood friend relationship between Shi and Sakura. I've decided to change his name from C to Shi. After all, it's a bit weird to have a single letter as a name. It made me a bit uncomfortable.

The next chapter will be more of Shi and Sakura, I'm sure some readers are dying from the cliff hanger that I decided to stop at.

Cheers,

WhiteMint

PS: How many want to have Yagura as a suitor? I remember there were some requests for him.


	24. The Con

Summary: In the imperial capital of Konoha, it was the norm for men to reign supreme while wives and concubines lived in seclusion like elegant flowers inside a locked garden. However, everything changed when one pink-haired medic entered the capital. Ancient Chinese AU SakuraxMulti

* * *

Chapter 24: The Con

* * *

"The other reason… Is to marry you and bring you back to Kumo."

The words echoed in Sakura's head while she stared at her big brother in a daze, his serious onyx eyes seemed to pierce into her soul.

"You're… Kidding. Right? Haha…" Sakura leaned back and lamely tried to call his bluff. It reminded her of that time when he joked about marrying her, except now she won't fall for it.

Sakura froze as a pair of warm lips lightly grazed her pink ones. If it wasn't for the close proximity of their faces, she would never had noticed it.

His lips then traveled to a light peck on her nose, and then to her forehead before separating. Black eyes stared at her baffled face in amusement, "Does it look like I'm kidding?"

He must be joking. The bully hadn't been able to bully her in so long that now he'll pulling off the biggest joke with her heart.

Shi was exasperated at the denial in her face. The face that he could read so easily was like an open book to him, and the book didn't believe his words.

"Ack!" Sakura's poor nose was once again being pinched.

"Stupid puppy, should this prince continue to kiss you until you believe?"

"I believe! I believe!" Sakura cried pitifully. This big brother of hers was only a year older than Itachi, yet he's so merciless in his bullying!

"I don't think you do." Shi lifted her up until he was holding her hips. It was only possible because his feet were now planted on the ground of the lake. While Sakura wasn't paying attention, he had been slowly swimming them to the edge of the pond.

"Eh? Why are you lifting me-"

SPLASH!

Shi dunked Sakura into the water.

This time Sakura was able to get feet onto the ground as she stood up to get her head out of the water. Gasping for breath, Sakura glared at the unapologetic looking prince. Before she could say anything, his lips were once again on hers, but in a more forceful manner.

"Do you still not believe me?"

Sakura's face was red like a tomato, "Stop kissing me!"

"Do you still not believe I intend to marry you?" Shi held her chin up until she had no choice but to stare at his serious eyes, amusement and affection gleamed from the black depths.

Sakura was still a bit doubtful.

"Guess I'll have to use my tongue this time."

Sakura quickly covered her lips, "I believe now!" Though her words were muffled, the confused and slightly bashful expression gave Shi the confirmation that only now did she start to seriously believe that he wanted to court her.

Shi patted her head indulgently, "That's a good girl."

Sakura fumed. He's treating her like a puppy all over again! Does his bullying never end? Her mental tirade was going on in full force when Shi lifted her up into a princess carry and started walking casually across the pond over the water back to where they originally were.

The servant that was waiting at the dock stared dumbfounded at the scene when Shi casually ordered him, "Get some towels for myself and Haruno Sakura of Konoha, my future wife." Before the servant could leave, Shi's departing words left him with cold sweat all over his body, "And remember… You didn't see anything about a servant boy. All you saw was the First Princess visiting her childhood friend."

"Yes, your Highness!" The servant quickly kowtowed before running to get towels for the two wet nobles.

…

Sakura breathed a sigh of relief as she climbed out of the hot bath that had been provided for her. Kumo maids were scurrying around her like beautiful butterflies to tend for her every need while Sakura washed all the pond water away.

"Your highness, we altered the clothes to the best of our ability. If there is anything wrong, we'll fix it immediately." A maid bowed to her as she held the dress up. The style was distinctly the female attire for the natives of Kumogakure, with the edges lined with white fox fur and the fabric a soft velvet of a light grey color. Silver bells lined the edges of the dress, giving a merry tinkle as the dress moved and a silver woven belt was hanging off the dress to be tied when the dress was worn. Staring at the beautiful dress, Sakura put it on and was astonished that the fit was perfect. It was testimony to the skill of the maids currently serving Sakura, to be able to alter the obviously expensive dress into a perfect fit for her in the short time while she was bathing.

The maids gave cheerful compliments to how beautiful Sakura looked in the dress as they quickly dried and styled Sakura's hair so that it lied straight down while pinning a matching fur-lined cap onto her head. Another maid was expertly putting makeup on Sakura face while smiling elegantly, "Hime-sama, your face is so beautiful that this lowly maid doesn't dare to put on too much makeup, in fear of covering your lovely features."

Sakura felt flustered at the compliment, which had effectively distracted her to allow another maid to place cute fur boots onto her feet, completing the final outfit.

"I feel bad for all the trouble," Sakura bashfully replied, "Are you all not supposed to serve someone else?" If her presence pulled away these excellent maids, she worried that she would face the wrath of their true master.

One of the maids gave a giggle in response as she rubbed lotion onto Sakura's hands, "His Highness Prince Shi brought us here to serve you, Sakura-hime. So that you will be comfortable and well taken care of when you come back with us to Kumogakure to wed Prince Shi and become the next empress of the Land of Lightning. It is our duty and honor to take care of Hime-sama."

…

Prince Shi, heir to the throne of Kumogakure and nephew to the current emperor, was currently sipping on a cup of tea as he sat on the comfortable chair waiting. He had already washed and changed his clothes and was currently waiting for the puppy to come out. Knowing her personality, he was confident that Sakura had realized the truth of the matter.

Bang!

The door slammed open as his eyes fell upon the sight of an angry princess that was surrounded by flustered maids trying to calm her down.

"Big brother C! How come you're planning on taking me back to Kumo?" Sakura fumed.

"My fiancé should of course be by my side," Shi replied, acting like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Sakura's face turned red like a cherry, "I never agreed to become your fiancé!" Suddenly, as if struck by inspiration, Sakura's face turned gloating, "If you want to marry this princess of Konoha, you'll just have to get in line."

The room fell so silent that if a needle dropped, no doubt it would be heard by all. Shi casually waved the maids to leave the room, until the only occupants were a Prince of Kumogakure and a Princess of Konoha.

Crap… His eyes were now serious. Sakura suddenly felt nervous as she stared at the pitch black eyes in front of her. It seemed that her bragging words had hit a sore spot.

"I once asked Tsunade for your hand in marriage. Did you know that?" His voice was quiet and calm.

Sakura's eyes widened with surprise as she quickly shook her head.

"Do you know what she told me?"

"… No?" Sakura's response ended up sounding like a question.

Shi gently took Sakura's hand and raised it to his mouth to give a light kiss, "She stated that when you turned fifteen, she'll take you back to Konoha. If I still wished to marry you, I would have to travel to Konoha myself to claim you."

Sakura's mouth parted as she gaped at the knowledge. She had never known, had never _considered_ , Shi to have wanted to marry her back when she lived in Kumo.

"Back when you were with me, I was only a court official. The Imperial Pharmacist to be exact, but not heir to the throne. It was due to an accident last year where the emperor's son drunkenly decided to go on a hunting trip and met his end from accidentally riding off a cliff did that position open up...

The emperor did loved his dead wife so much that he had no inclination in marrying another woman and producing another heir, so as the nephew, I ended up rising in rank and becoming Prince."

Shi gently steered Sakura towards the couch and sat down on it with her. The young pinkette was silent throughout the explanation.

"At first, I was angry at the new title. As a noble, marrying you of a noble blood would have been fine. But as the Prince and heir to the throne, my options for marriage would be limited… If you were too low of a background, the court officials would not accept you as empress and I would have no choice but to take you as a mere concubine."

Sakura stiffened at the words 'concubine'.

"But then news spread out to our country about the new First Princess of Konoha. And to my surprise, the identity belonged to none other than the silly puppy that loved to eat strawberry shaved ice.

As a First Princess, you had the status of one fit to marry me, a future emperor, and become empress. And coincidentally, the Martial Arts Tournament was to be held in Konoha. So with the idea of finally seeing you and marrying you, I traveled to Konoha to attend the tournament... But all the gossip I heard in the villages of the Land of Fire were not happy news for me."

With a start, Sakura felt herself dragged onto Shi's lap as he whispered into her ears, imitating a gossip monger, "Did you hear? The emperor of Konoha offered the princess a position of concubine! People say that he even kissed her! I heard that the Uchiha clan heir is also pursuing the princess with every intention of marriage! They say that the Prime Minister is also interested, how lucky that young lady is, to have so many offers for marriage! No matter who she chooses, her life is set!"

Sakura pushed Shi off as she once again sat on the couch, "Those are misunderstandings…" She mumbled. In her defense, Itachi courting her was nothing but a farce. And she had no clue on what Madara was truly thinking. Pein however…

Her eyes felt guilty, but suddenly renewed with strength and determination as she glared at Shi, "Big brother C! I have every right to choose who to marry, so you shouldn't be so sure of yourself and preparing to drag me back to Kumo!"

Shi sighed as his face changed from the forceful one earlier into the usual calm. Putting his hand on her pink cheek, Shi gently caressed her with a slightly sad look on his face, "Yes, my puppy has grown up into a beautiful woman who's so high up that she won't even give her childhood friend some form of hope in marrying the woman he's loved for years."

"Eh?" Sakura was immediately filled with guilt. After all, wasn't it her wrong that Shi came all the way from Kumo for her hand in marriage, only to be turned down immediately? She suddenly felt like a terrible person.

Lifting her hands in a placating gesture, Sakura tried to reassure Shi, who looked absolutely heartbroken, "I didn't mean to reject you! I'll think about it… I mean, I have known you for longer than the other suitors so it's likely I'll marry you… Your chances aren't exactly zero…"

The sad look on Shi's face immediately evaporated as he held her two hands and placed a quick peck on her lips, "Since you promised me that, don't you dare forget. I definitely have a higher chance in marrying you compared to these Konoha dogs. It's obvious I'm so much better than them."

Sakura froze in shock at the sudden 180 degree change in Shi.

Conned!

She's been conned! It was all an act! And she fell for it!

Sakura's mind fell into a pit of self-pity as Shi played with her hair in the arrogant manner he always did. Completely satisfied with the results.

Bullying her didn't work. Forcing her also didn't work. But using her soft heart did seem to work... And now Shi was in the running for her heart and hand in marriage.

Unbeknownst to all the people that were interested in the First Princess. Their biggest competitor had now made his first move.

* * *

Hello readers!

Here is the second part of Shi and Sakura's reunion! Normally the childhood friend character is the one left to bite the dust but I just couldn't do that to Shi! Especially with his forceful personality. When I write, I wanted each suitor to be as different as possible and for them to all fall in love with Sakura in different ways. So I'm especially happy with how Shi turned out. Though for a minute there, I contemplated making him a yandere-like character in the scene where Sakura was like, "you'll have to wait in line".

The next chapter will involve many characters when others start to realize that Shi is now a suitor. Don't expect it to come out anytime soon though, I have a major exam on Wednesday so I'll be busy with my school life. But I didn't want to leave everyone hanging so I wrote out the second part as fast as possible.

Cheers,

WhiteMint


	25. The Kages

Summary: In the imperial capital of Konoha, it was the norm for men to reign supreme while wives and concubines lived in seclusion like elegant flowers inside a locked garden. However, everything changed when one pink-haired medic entered the capital. Ancient Chinese AU SakuraxMulti

* * *

Chapter 25: The Kages

* * *

The Fourth Mizukage of Kirigakure, Yagura, gave a loud yawn as he slouched on the bamboo chair with silk cushions. He wasn't sure what was more boring: watching Madara lead the Raikage by the nose in the game of shogi, or listening to the Kazekage and Tsuchikage bicker about what type of liquor was the best.

All the Kages were currently together for the 'formal tea ceremony' hosted by the Konoha emperor, but it was really all just a front for the public. In actuality, they were just relaxing and hiding from their personal advisors to avoid doing work, their excuse being that they were busy building foreign relations. Over the years, the Martial Arts Tournament had made all friction between the countries gone and the rulers of the countries only considered it as a yearly vacation.

Just when Yagura was about to give in to another yawn, the Raikage A finally lost his temper with the shogi game and flipped the entire table in a fit of rage. The Konoha emperor didn't even blink as the wooden chess pieces flew in the air, one of them even smacking the Tsuchikage in the back of the head.

"Watch what you're doing you little punk!" Onoki, the Third Tsuchikage yelled as he leapt up from his seat. But the sudden exertion seemed too much as a cringe-worthy crack was heard and he suddenly paused and put his hands on source, "Ack! My back!"

The Raikage A luckily happened to be in a foul mood from the shogi game as he fearlessly yelled back, "Shut up old man! You should just retire already you sack of bones!"

"Ehhh? You dare insult me? I, your elder, will beat your ass since you've obviously didn't get enough discipline as a child!"

"I'd like to see you try old man!"

The bickering was obviously something that happened frequently as the rest of the rulers did nothing to stop them. As Onoki was going on in a rage about how stupid the younger generation of Kages have gotten, he suddenly stopped and turned a menacing look at the Konoha emperor.

"And you! What on earth were you thinking in giving away the title of Hokage! In all of history, the emperor and kage are one and the same until you got that farce of an idea on giving the title away to some nobody!"

The Uchiha emperor was unfazed by the sudden accusation, "Minato isn't some nobody. He's the head of the Uzimaki clan."

Rasa, the Fourth Kazekage frowned as he added his personal opinion, "The man you graciously gave the title of Hokage is nothing but a husband consort to the Uzimaki clan, marrying into the clan because there was no suitable male heir… I'm not criticizing your decision, but do you really understand the magnitude of what you have done?"

The Raikage A seemed to feel the same, "That's right! As a kage, you have full control of the country's military. As an emperor, you have the last word in the country's civil matters. To split both civil and military responsibilities is a mistake, you should take back the title of Hokage immediately!"

The look of disdain Madara gave the complaining Kages made the area around them suddenly seem ten degrees colder, "…Do you really think anyone would dare rebel against this king?" He asked with a small smirk in his lips.

While the tension was running high, there was another location with other young lords and ladies.

In a table not too far from the emperors, the younger members of the royalty were having their own tea party. Though the air surrounding them was much more relaxed.

Glancing at the bickering kings, Shisui leaned over and whispered in a secretive manner, "Ne, Itachi-chan, should we have a bet on who will win the argument?"

Temari, who was sitting across the table, excitedly leaned in, "Fifty silver on the Raikage. He looks angry enough to throw even more furniture around."

Kankuro frowned, "No love for your own father? Tsk tsk big sis. I'll bet that the Kazekage will win."

"Dad's not even a part of the argument!" Temari retorted before turning to her other younger brother, "What about you, Gaara?"

The redhead grunted, "Not betting. It's stupid."

"Spoilsport!"

Shisui grinned as the boring tea drinking was finally getting amusing. As he leisurely fanned himself, he gave his own opinion, "Just because the Konoha emperor is young, doesn't mean you should underestimate him. This prince will bet on our own country's ruler."

Itachi sighed as the betting pool was growing larger, "Does anyone know where Shi is?" Out of all the princes, the Kumo heir was missing.

"No idea." Temari shrugged, before suddenly lighting up, "What about the Konoha princess? I thought she would be attending this too."

Almost as if to answer the call, the two missing nobles suddenly appeared like a storm.

"Killer B!" A sweet voice called out from outside the courtyard.

The Imperial General and bodyguard of the Raikage, nicknamed Killer B, had been standing guard at the front gate of the courtyard where the emperors and heirs were staying at. It was boring work, but he grinned as he caught a bundle of gray velvet and pink hair running towards him.

"Oh? If it isn't little Sakura!" The muscular man laughed as he caught the princess. To the surprise of all the onlookers, he suddenly did the unexpected and tossed the princess into the air like a kid.

Sakura giggled, "Higher!" she demanded and B complied, once again tossing her lightly into the air. But before he could catch her, a certain blonde prince pushed him away before catching Sakura into the princess carry.

"No more playing around," Shi said sternly. At those words, the princess and general had matching expressions of shock and disbelief.

"Stupid kid, I never raised you to act like this!" B pointed his finger indignantly.

"So mean… How could you ruin our fun," Crocodile tears shone on Sakura's face.

Shi sighed as he ignored the charges the princess and general gave him. Setting Sakura down, he pulled her hand into the courtyard where the emperors had long since stopped bickering due to the commotion.

Reaching the emperors, Shi quickly kneeled down while Sakura followed suite, "This prince apologizes for the late arrival. Along the way, I happened to meet my childhood friend Princess Sakura and we spent too long catching up that we lost track of time."

Onoki gave a laugh as he waved his hand, gesturing for the two to stand, "It's fine! Even though we needed you to reign in that stupid uncle of yours, everything sorted out in the end. It's good for the young'ins to mingle and build friendships, so go sit with the others."

The Raikage A's anger had finally simmered down as he noticed the dress Sakura was wearing, "Shi, you never told me that little Sakura was the one you wanted to marry! Giving her the betrothal gift already!"

"Eh?" All eyes suddenly landed on Sakura and Shi. It was at that moment when everyone realized that the clothes she was wearing were not the customary silks of Konoha, but the velvet and fur that was common in Kumogakure.

The silence that had occurred was broken with a small cracking noise.

"Betrothal gift?" Madara asked, a faint line running down his cup of tea, showing a hint of the anger that wasn't portrayed on his face.

Shi didn't look perturbed at all even while facing the hint of bloodlust from the Konoha emperor, "Your majesty, this prince wishes to marry the princess Haruno Sakura and will court her as per the orders of the imperial decree. As per Kumo custom, when a man wishes to marry a woman, he must personally procure the materials necessary for an engagement gift in dress form."

The Raikage boisterous laughter sounded out as he smacked his armrest with a fist, "True men must be able to face whatever dangers by themselves in order to impress the women they wish to court. Shi here has personally traversed the dangerous mountains to hunt the rare and elusive silver foxes for the fur trim on Sakura's dress and hat. He even used the softest parts of the mountain sheep to make the velvet in her dress. And finally, the silver bells were personally forged by Shi himself using the highest quality of ores."

Sakura's face was like a tomato as she confronted her childhood friend, "Big brother! You said this was just a random dress! I didn't know it was a betrothal gift!" She tried to get Shi to let go of her hand so that she could quickly run back to her rooms and change to normal clothes.

Shi stubbornly refused to let go of her hand, "If I told you the truth, you would never have worn it. Only this way can I show to everyone about how serious I am to get you to be my future wife." Shi gave a slightly arrogant glance at Itachi as he continued, "After all, I know you the best."

Itachi's face was impassive that only Shisui, who was sitting next to Itachi, noticed the slight clenching of Itachi's jaw.

Sakura was so embarrassed and mortified, but she didn't deny his last declaration. Finally using her chakra to break free from Shi's hands, she quickly bowed to the Kages and started backing away, "This princess is feeling a little too warm from the sun, please excuse me while I go back to rest."

And with graceful steps in a speed that can only be explained with chakra, Sakura quickly left the courtyard.

Shi was calm as he watched his little puppy run away. It was fine for him. Sakura still needed time to digest his words, but his main goal had already been accomplished. Sakura's current suitors have seen how close he was with her, and there was nothing they could do. And by slowly leaking out rumors, the rest of Konoha will soon learn that their princess has a very close friendship with the prince of Kumo.

The blonde prince gave a cursory bow to the Kages as he proceeded to the table where the other princes and princesses were sitting at. Whether it was due to arrogance or rivalry, Shi chose to sit across from Itachi, "Hello… Prince Itachi."

Itachi nodded politely, black eyes clashing with black.

...

Sakura gave a loud huff of annoyance as she stared at the innocent grey dress that was now laid out on her dresser. After living in Kumogakure for a year, she obviously knew about the betrothal custom. Normally, the man will bring the dress along with many other gifts to ask for the bride's hand. Only if the bride agreed to the proposal, does she wear the dress the following day and the engagement is celebrated.

This stupid prince! He didn't say a word and the maids that put the dress on didn't tell Sakura either! She had only thought it was a normal dress due to her soaked state from the impromptu swim at the pond.

With a huff, Sakura walked out of her courtyard. She needed time to clear her mind, and an incognito stroll through the marketplace seemed a good idea.

"A princess like you shouldn't be wandering around alone," A voice made Sakura stop in her tracks right after she had jumped the walls of the imperial courtyard. Sakura turned her head in shock as she looked at the figure sitting on the walls that she had just climbed down from.

Sitting was a young man dressed casually in green robes with a Kirigakure headband tied around his waist. Tied behind his back was a long hooked pole with a green flower at the end. His eyes were of a pale pink that were only slightly different from her hair, and his gray hair made him look much older than his stature.

Even though Sakura didn't know him, she immediately bowed down, "This princess greets the Mizukage." She had recognized him as one of the Kages that were sitting together at the tea party.

Yagura gave a cheeky grin as he put his finger to his lips, "Shh… you're not the only one hiding from others. Act normal around me, like you do with your little boyfriend."

Sakura stuttered, her face showing red, "Prince Shi's not my boyfriend, just a childhood friend. He never even told me that the dress was a betrothal one…"

Yagura leapt down and stood in front of Sakura, their eyes perfectly level, "Oh? You still haven't decided on whom to marry? How about marrying me? I don't mind taking you as a wife."

"…"

"Just kidding."

Sakura almost coughed blood at the joke, "Your highness, please don't mess with my heart like that."

Yagura laughed at the sight of the embarrassed princess, "Alright then little girl, show me around your city. I was getting bored from the stupid tea party anyways."

Sakura paused, "What about your bodyguards?"

Amused pink eyes stared at the hesitant girl, "I'm the strongest person in Kirigakure, I can take care of myself little girl."

Sakura desperately wanted to retort, "we're the same height!" but she thankfully kept her mouth shut. If the Mizukage wanted her to show him around Konoha, there was nothing she could do but obey.

But unbeknownst to her, his presence effectively removed the gloom surrounding her after Shi's groundbreaking actions.

* * *

Hello Readers~

Ahh… What to say… Exams have been taking a toll on me that I can't seem to bring the story for this chapter out to type. With effort, I managed to finish the Sannin side story only to find out it was so unpopular. Made me want to cry but no tears would come out OTL. That feeling just made me feel even less motivated about posting.

But I finally finished my first year of grad school and with the extra free time, I'm going to try to post again on this fic. I've half-forgotten my plans for this story but I'll try my best.

A big thank you for the readers that occasionally review and tell me to come back. If it wasn't for you guys, I probably wouldn't have come back so quickly.

Best,

WhiteMint

* * *

Suitors: Itachi, Sasori, Deidara, Neji, Madara, Pein, Gaara, Shikamaru, Shi

Friendzoned: Haku, Kisame, Kakuzu, Zetsu, Lee, Orochimaru, Jiraiya, Obito, Nagato, Kankuro, Yamato, Hidan, Genma, all parents

Maybe?: Kabuto, Kimimaru, Shisui, Toneri, Kiba, Yagura

Team 7 family forever: Sasuke, Naruto, Sai, Kakashi, Yamato


	26. The Hairpin

Summary: In the imperial capital of Konoha, it was the norm for men to reign supreme while wives and concubines lived in seclusion like elegant flowers inside a locked garden. However, everything changed when one pink-haired medic entered the capital. Ancient Chinese AU SakuraxMulti

* * *

Chapter 26: The Hairpin

* * *

"Onee-chan, buy me another dango skewer!" came the cute plea from a pair of pink puppy dog eyes. The face was so adorable that even the aunty selling the dango felt herself blush.

Sakura held back a sigh as she once again dug into her coin pouch.

This stupid Kage, not even paying for his own food.

At this rate, she was going to turn bankrupt…

Mental tears ran down her eyes at the thought of having to ask either Madara or Pein for some pocket money.

It all started when Sakura warned him to not address her as her real name and title, since she was after all trying to walk around incognito. She dragged him back to her courtyard and helped him with his disguise. Gone was the Kiri headband and distinctive staff weapon. And instead of his natural white hair, the same powder dye was applied and his hair now matched Sakura's.

Yagura had found the idea really funny and decided to take it a step further, promptly declaring himself to be her 'younger brother' so that his 'onee-chan' would have to take him around town. Of course while paying for everything.

The complete change in attitude really confused the poor princess.

While she was flummoxed on how to act, the Mizukage would drag her around to the many different booths and stalls, looking at this and playing with that. And every time a trinket caught his eye, he would turn around and give puppy dog eyes at Sakura while sweetly asking his 'onee-chan' to buy it for him. To all the people around, it looked like a lovable younger brother that was enjoying his time during the celebratory mood of Konoha in preparation for the Martial Arts Tournament.

And Sakura had no idea on how to act.

In actuality, if Sakura really wanted to be a true older sister, she would have long started lecturing at him to stop reckless spending.

But this 'little brother' of hers was one of the most powerful existences in the world.

As Sakura was trying to think of what to do to calm down the Mizukage, a voice could be heard calling out to her.

"Sakura-chan~!"

The pink-haired princess flinched a little before turning around with a bit of a forced smile, "Hello Deidara-san."

Yagura turned around to see the greeter. It was a blonde-haired man with bangs covering one eye while the rest of the hair was tied in a high half-ponytail. Dressed in maroon robes with a black trim. The one eye that could be seen was of a sky blue. The grin on the handsome face showed that the person seemed very unreliable and fickle.

As Deidara got close to them, he quickly spread his arms out to hug Sakura. With light nimble steps, Sakura dodged the attack.

"Ehh, not fair Sakura-chan! I just wanted a hug!" Deidara gave a pout, but didn't continue chasing. Sakura gave an awkward laugh and didn't look inclined to re-initiate the hug.

"What are you doing here Deidara-san? Shouldn't you be busy at the shop?" Sakura asked. Considering how many visitors were in Konoha at the moment, she was sure that Deidara and Sasori's shop would be packed to the brim with visitors.

"Danna can handle it," Deidara laughed, "More importantly, are you browsing the marketplace? Let's go together! It'll be a date."

As Deidara came closer to Sakura, the sudden presence of a shorter young boy blocked the path. Pink eyes filled with barely veiled disdain stared back at him.

"Don't touch her," Yagura frowned.

Deidara paused and took a close look at the shorter man. He then grinned and patted his head, "Little kids shouldn't butt into adult matter. This older brother will buy you a candied apple and then you should go home – GAH!"

Before he could finish his sentence, Deidara quickly drew back his hand, barely avoiding the kunai that had almost cut off the offending limb.

At a speed faster than most can see, the kunai disappeared into the robes of the Mizukage as he smirked, "Don't touch me or my onee-chan, pervert."

"You want a fight you little brat!"

Sakura sighed as she walked away from the bickering two. The testosterone levels were too high for the poor princess that only wanted a break. As she tuned out the noise of the crowded street, she suddenly heard the clear sounds of beautiful wind chimes.

~Ding ding~

So familiar… Sakura opened her emerald eyes to identify the source.

Sitting in a small area was a tiny booth that seemed almost isolated from the noise and bustle. Hanging were multiple wind chimes and bells out for sale. The table also contained an assortment of flutes and whistles. Behind the booth was a young man with white hair tied in a ponytail and distinctive round spectacles.

Wide green eyes met the black ones covered with a layer of glass.

"Kabuto-nee!" Sakura squeezed through the crowd to get to his booth.

A small grin surfaced on the normally blank face. The black eyes showed a hint of affection, "I was wondering when you would notice me. Are you giving the Mizukage a tour of the city?"

Sakura sighed, not even surprised that Kabuto immediately recognized the incognito Kage, "He invited himself. All I wanted was to relax from the stuffiness of the palace. What are you doing here? These instruments…" Sakura looked suspiciously at the innocuous flute.

"Perfectly normal items," Kabuto grinned, "Trinkets for sale from the Land of Sound. Interested in anything?"

Sakura shook her head, "No thanks. Even now, I cringe when I hear the sound of a flute."

Kabuto gave a small laugh, "You know Orochimaru wouldn't be dumb enough to sell his inventions on a small street market. But you should head back, your companions seemed to have noticed that you're not around."

"Ah!" Sakura turned around. The Mizukage and Deidara were headed in her direction.

"Sorry Kabuto-nee, I should head back," a faint trace of a pout were seen on her pink lips at the thought of reuniting with the two troublemakers.

As she turned around to leave, she was suddenly pulled back by her hand. A pair of warm lips breathed a few words into her ear, "The Sannin are staying at the Lion Inn. Sensei also brought Ice with him."

With wide eyes filled with joy, Sakura turned around to see that Kabuto had sat back down behind the booth, as he gave small wave of goodbye, she also saw him mouth the words, "Be careful around Deidara."

As she walked back towards the two men, her thoughts were muddled. She was excited to know that her Shishou was here, but she was also confused at Kabuto's last words.

Once she reached them, she decided to clear up the situation, "Deidara-san, I promised to accompany my younger brother today, you should go back to the shop. I'm sure Sasori-san is very busy and needs all the help he can get."

Deidara responded with a cute pout, "Aww, but I want to be with Sakura-chan!"

However, before he could continue, his head was suddenly pulled back with a jerk.

Holding onto the ponytail was a redheaded young man with an angry frown on his face. "You'd better give me a good reason why it's taking you so long to buy lunch or I'll turn you into a puppet." Amber eyes glinted ominously at the blonde who was suddenly breaking out in cold sweat.

"Danna!"

Sasori looked at Deidara's companions and gave Sakura a polite nod before turning his eyes towards Yagura. Amber eyes widened imperceptibly before turning blank again.

"We're leaving," Sasori said before dragging Deidara along by his ponytail.

"Ow! Danna! Can you let go of my hair? It's very precious to me. OW!"

Sakura gave a sigh of relief as the offending blonde was gone. She turned towards the Kage, who now was holding a stick of cotton candy.

"We should head back now," Sakura said politely. It was getting late and the palace was having a dinner banquet that both of them needed to attend.

Yagura gave an impish smile, "Sure thing Onee-chan!"

After returning to the courtyard and changing back into their former appearances, Sakura politely walked with the Mizukage to the exit.

Curtsying gracefully, Sakura dropped the facade and once again treated Yagura with the status he had, "This princess will send you off here, Mizukage-sama."

Before she could get up, she felt her head being lifted and her forehead hitting something hard, "Ah!" Opening her eyes, green orbs widened at the sudden proximity towards a pair of amused pink ones. Yagura had pressed their foreheads together such that their face was only an inch apart. Gone was the innocent smile of the 'little brother' and replaced was the smirk of absolute confidence of the ruler of the Land of Water.

Time seemed to stop as Sakura felt heat rising to her cheeks at the close proximity to the Mizukage. Even though she has spent many hours with him, it was only now that she got a closer look at his face. The pale pink eyes were mysterious and her eyes traced a faint scar that went down from his left eye to the bottom of his cheek.

"I had a fun time, little girl." Sakura's face gradually reddened as she could feel the warmth of his breath at those words. Their lips were inches apart and Sakura had a sudden fear that this ruler might decide to copy the actions of another emperor when she suddenly felt a stab into her hair as Yagura let go of her head before turning around.

"Consider that a gift for your time… You should wear it tonight. And if you ever get tired of this dumb land full of trees, my offer still stands." And with those words, the Mizukage left.

Being stunned silly, Sakura stood there for a second. By the time she got her bearings together, she quickly raced back into her room, covering her red face – whether it was due to anger or embarrassment – while her servants that were giving her increasingly odd looks. When she was safely inside her bedroom with only Tenten, Sakura reached and pulled the offending object that the Mizukage had placed into her hair.

It was a beautiful golden hairpin with a chained string of pearls of increasing size. Each pearl was flawless and pure white. One glance and it was obvious that the piece of jewelry was incredibly expensive. Considering how pearls were the most valuable commodity that the Land of Water traded in, the hairpiece was valuable to the point that it could even buy a small country.

"Sakura-san…" Tenten hesitated, "What offer did the Mizukage mean?"

The confused princess stared back at her equally confused maid.

"Offer…"

With a sudden thought, Sakura felt the blood rushing back into her face, "Don't tell me… That marriage proposal? Wasn't it supposed to be a joke?!"

…

Yagura felt particularly happy as he walked back towards his compound. He could only imagine the current look on the Konoha princess's face. If she wore the hairpin to the banquet tonight, he would get a crack out of seeing the faces of the different nobles that were pining after that pink-haired princess.

"Mizukage-sama… Where did you run off to?" A tall, slender woman with green eyes and ankle-length auburn hair greeted Yagura.

Mei Terumi, one of Yagura's trusted subordinates and Prime Minister of the Land of Water, studied Yagura's face and concluded that the Mizukage was in a mysteriously good mood after his little disappearing act during the tea party.

"Nothing much, just adding my chip into the fun little game that seems to be going on." Yagura walked into the complex where the maids were holding onto the Kage robes for Yagura to wear to the dinner.

Yagura twirled the hat around before giving Mei a cheeky grin, "I've decided to pursue that princess everyone is talking about. Seeing the Uchiha's tick is completely worth the pearls that I gave her."

"Pearls?" Mei's eyes widened, "Don't tell me you gave away the Pearls of Mist! That's one of the treasures of our country!"

"So what?" Yagura gave an unconcerned glance at the shocked woman, "The treasures of the country are mine in the first place. Ao told me that at this rate, you'll never get a husband."

The shock at the Mizukage's actions quickly turned into anger as Mei turned towards her fellow coworker with flames in her eyes. A strict middle aged man with blue hair and one eye covered with a patch looked warily at the sudden female devil that turned towards him. Even though he was the Mizukage's bodyguard, Ao knew that he could easily lose towards an angry Mei.

"The Mizukage was obviously kidding, I never said anything along those lines." Ao tried to reason, as he slowly backed away, "Right Mizukage-sama?"

Yagura just chuckled as he watched his bodyguard get cornered, "I wish you the best, Ao."

* * *

Hello my lovely readers~

The reviews made me super happy and I tried my best to churn out this chapter! I know Yagura isn't a common pairing with Sakura but I feel like it's a breath of fresh air to include new characters instead of the usual mix. I hope you guys enjoy him as much as everyone enjoyed Shi! I know some people hated Shi but that made me all the happier! It's best if the different suitors have very distinct personalities and I'll try my best so that people have their own ships to support. Viva la reverse harem!

Best,

WhiteMint


	27. The Second Banquet

Summary: In the imperial capital of Konoha, it was the norm for men to reign supreme while wives and concubines lived in seclusion like elegant flowers inside a locked garden. However, everything changed when one pink-haired medic entered the capital. Ancient Chinese AU SakuraxMulti

* * *

Chapter 27: The Second Banquet

* * *

Madara secretly sighed at the weight of the hat on his head. If the other emperors hadn't bugged him so much, he wouldn't have worn it at all. In fact, Yagura that brat had already taken his off and left it hanging on his chair. Madara silently tsked at the actions of the youngest emperor. What a stupid country, with that custom of electing their Mizukage based on strength instead of bloodline. Now they have a new brat barely out of his mother's womb ruling their pitiful island nation. While thinking that, Madara conveniently ignored the fact that he himself had started reign at an age even younger than Yagura.

But even so, the other emperors had considered Yagura's presence more acceptable than Madara's decision to give away the title of Hokage. Stupid fools. He wasn't dumb enough to give away the hat for no reason. As Madara glanced down at the nobles milling into the banquet hall, he spotted a certain blonde man with embroidered flames in his robes, and couldn't help but think of their first meeting together.

…

"Greetings to the emperor, may the emperor live for tens of thousands of years!"

And with those ceremonial words, Minato knelt in front of the young boy – no _king_ – many years his junior sitting on the golden throne in front of him. Of all the people that have graced the front hall of the emperor in his first years of reign, they were either blessed with power and position… Or cursed with the death of poisoned wine. And Minato didn't know which he would get.

As he felt the sweat trickle down his nose that was pressed against the floor in kowtow, Minato prayed to the gods above that he wouldn't get the wine. After all, his son was still young and the last thing he wanted was for his wife to become a widow. And for the Uzumaki clan… He dreaded the possibility for the clan he married into to fall just like the Haruno clan did recently.

"Rise… Minato." The timbre of the young king rang across the empty hall.

As Minato slowly raised his head up, he didn't dare to even look at the emperor, only lifting his head high enough to see a pair of black boots.

"Do you know why this king has called upon you?"

"This servant…" Minato choked on his words, "This servant does not know…"

"Pein," Madara beckoned, "State this man's history."

"Yes, your majesty." The new Prime Minister stepped forward and unrolled a scroll. Minato raised his head to look at the young minister that had replaced Danzo with trepidation.

"Minato Namikaze. Born of a small nomatic clan in the northern countryside of the Land of Fire. Joined the army at the age of 12 and showed great progress in both fighting ability and leadership. Became the disciple of the currently retired General Jiraiya – one of the legendary Sannin – and is now famed as Konoha's Yellow Flash. Leads a small troupe of elites that specialize in enemy infiltration and disruption. Married into the Uzumaki clan due to the leader not having a son and currently rules the clan jointly with his wife Kushina Uzumaki. Has a son who is now the heir of the Uzumaki clan named Naruto Uzumaki."

Minato couldn't help but shiver at the information that the current emperor managed to dig up from before he became famous. Was he here because of his commoner background? While it wasn't unheard of for a man to marry into a clan, it was still pretty rare. Perhaps the emperor Madara was angry at the introduction of someone unpure? Minato knew that the Uchihas were sticklers to bloodline purity and looked down on anyone of mixed blood. But the Uzumaki's were lax. After all, they did not have any kekkei genkai that required passing down through the bloodline like how the Uchiha's did.

As Minato head was swirling with thoughts, Madara broke the silence, "Minato Namikaze… You've climbed up very far in your life."

"This servant thanks the emperor for his compliments," Minato once again bowed. At least he hopes they were compliments…

Soft footsteps echoed the hall as Minato heard the emperor walk towards him. Minato mustered up the courage and looked up at the man who held the life and death of everyone in this country.

"We're quite different… You and I." Madara spoke softly, "You are the hero of the nation who's made many contributions towards protecting the country. While I am the devil who has killed many of my own people to climb onto this throne…"

Minato couldn't help but gulp at those words. Considering how high ranked he was, he knew that Madara's first actions as emperor was the cleanse the government of the many who took advantage of their power and position. But to the common people, Madara was a tyrant king who killed left and right, throwing the city and officials into chaos and disorder. It would take years for things to settle down. But until then, Madara was commonly referred to as the bringer of death, a king of bones.

"Your Majesty… You are the dragon king, your words and actions are all noble, wise, and brave."

"Enough," Madara interrupted, "This king doesn't appreciate the flattery that my late father enjoyed."

Madara then walked away to where Pein was holding a tray carrying something. Before Minato could get his thoughts straight, a large object flew towards him and he instinctively caught it.

Minato stared at the item in his hands, "The Hokage hat?"

"Minato" Madara barked in a commanding tone, and Minato immediately straightened his head, ignoring the hat in his hands.

"What is the Will of Fire."

"The definition?" Minato was confused, "The Fire is the flames of our nation and the fan of the Uchihas are what keeps the flames burning brightly."

That was what was taught in all schools, and why all people believed in the Uchiha dynasty.

"This king doesn't need the textbook answer. Say what you personally believe in."

Minato hesitated before finally replying, "The Will of Fire… For me, it is that love is the key to peace. In order to protect our nation, we must fight our enemies and defend for the future generations. That is my Will of Fire."

"Love… You believe in the words of Asura Otsusuki." Madara chuckled, "Do I look like the type that believes in love?"

Minato was silent.

"From today onwards, you will be Hokage. You shall be the one to defend the nation when the time comes, and I hope your Will of Fire is the same as it is now."

"But your majesty!" Minato objected, "The title of Hokage has always been the emperor's! This lowly one can't accept something like this!"

Madara dismissed the objection with a wave of his hand, "This king is already busy catching the rats that have infected the government. Your job will be to do the same within the military. Unless…" Madara's eyes glinted with the faint hint of Sharingan, "You wish to leave this hall the same way many others have left before you? In a silken bag for burial."

Minato immediately shook his head.

"Very well, you'd better not make this king disappointed."

…

Brushing the cumbersome hat off and letting it drop to the floor, Madara ignored Onoki's look of anger that was directed at him. While Madara didn't always agree with that muscle-head A, he privately approved what A said about Onoki needing to retire already and pick an heir. Most likely it will be that granddaughter of his, whatever her name is. Kuro-something or the other.

As the guests continued to mill in, Madara's eyes strayed towards a certain princess that was seated a many feet away from his right.

Her robes were of a light blue with silver thread that sparkled in the candle-light. The pattern of the thread looked like water as pink lotus flowers were decorated on the dress. The hue of the flowers perfectly matched the young girl's hair that was pinned up into a bun with a simple jade pin.

Madara studied the young girl's appearance and couldn't find anything unique. Her looks were delicate and her figure was good, but there were plenty of jaw-dropping beauties that would easily surpass her in appearance. So why was it that there were so many people chasing after her? And why did he seem to find her interesting?

She wasn't much, but…

He thought of the time he first met her. The flames in her emerald eyes as she daringly looked at him straight at his Sharingan, even knowing how dangerous they were. Other women were too scared to look at his Sharingan, even the women of his own clan. So when their eyes first met, he was a bit surprised.

The second time he saw those flames was when he amused himself to spar with her that time in the woods, she foolishly continued to get up after multiple losses and he ended up spending more time than he thought with her.

Her fighting ability was like her looks. Not that great, but… interesting.

Almost sensing his stare, Sakura turned her head and looked at him.

Seeing those emerald eyes that burned with a passion, Madara couldn't help to admit that she too, must believe in the Will of Fire that Minato believes in.

What Madara himself lacks.

…

Sakura was enjoying this banquet much more than the one that had been hosted in her honor. This time, she was less unique and was instead one of the many guests on the side. And she felt much more relaxed with being mainly ignored.

The banquet was organized in a conservative style where the Kages were seated in a high up platform while the men and women were separated into halves on each side of the long hall. The middle empty space would be where the dancers and other entertainers would perform while servants would bring the food for each of the guests. Each person sat based on rank, and the Konoha princess was situated between the Suna princess Temari, and the Iwa princess Kurotsuchi.

As she chatted politely with them, she suddenly felt a prickling stare and subconsciously looked towards it.

Her eyes met the dark eyes of the emperor and her breath seemed to hitch. The onyx eyes were pitch black yet seemed to have a red undercurrent behind them. They say that the eyes are the windows of the soul, but Sakura had not an inkling on the thoughts that went through the emperor's head. His face however, was blank and apathetic.

"Sakura? Are you listening?"

Sakura forcefully broke the eye lock between her and the emperor to turn back towards the Suna princess, giving an embarrassed smile in apology, "Sorry, I got a little distracted. What was it that you were saying Temari?"

…

Yagura was once again bored with the banquet that was going on. Next to him were all a bunch of stiff old men that talked about nothing but politics.

After eating the food that had been served, all he did was pick at the dessert while watching the musicians play their stringed instruments to accompany the female singer. Seriously, banquets like this shouldn't be allowed. The people below seemed to be enjoying themselves and chatting around while he was stuck at the top with the dry old fools. Madara was the closest to him in age but talking to him was like talking to a wall that only gave you looks of disdain.

Konoha is full of boring people except… Yagura's eyes strayed towards the princess that had accompanied him earlier that afternoon. She looked much better now, wearing the silken kimono of Konoha than that stupid grey Kumo dress. Bright colors suited her much better.

As his gaze shifted towards her hair, he immediately stiffened with exasperation. She wasn't wearing his hairpin!

Yagura quickly got up and started walking down, surprising the Kages and many of the other guests nearby that saw him. As he walked towards the women's section, he disregarded Ao's hurried whispers trying to stop him.

He continued while ignoring the whispered gossip that were suddenly occurring due to his strange actions, and stopped behind the pink-haired princess that was talking animatedly with the two next to her.

"Little girl." Yagura called out rudely.

"Eh?" Sakura turned so fast that she almost got whiplash, "Mizukage-sama!"

Sakura and the other two princesses immediately bowed in greeting, but Yagura ignored the other two. With her head still down, it was the convenient position for him to confiscate the offending object. Pulling at the jade hairpin, he removed it and the long pink hair cascaded down Sakura's back. The surrounding women gasped at the daring actions of the Mizukage while an embarrassed Sakura quickly braided her hair to look more presentable. After all, it was only in private when a woman should have her hair fully down. During any other situation would make a woman look loose and ungraceful.

The poor Konoha princess was shocked at Yagura's sudden actions. Furiously blushing, she tried to make a sense of the situation, "Mizuk-"

"Where's the hairpin that I gave you?" Yagura interrupted.

Sakura froze. This man! He really expected her to wear that hairpin?!

"Mizukage-sama, this is too precious. This princess will humbly return it." Sakura pulled out a small silk bag and presented it to the Mizukage. After getting the hairpin, Sakura and Tenten had asked around to finally realize the true importance of the hairpin. As one of the treasures of the Land of Water, the Pearls of Mist, it was definitely too precious for her!

Yagura opened the silk bag and pulled out the hairpin. The many strings of pearls hanging from the pin glittered in the light and the surrounding women immediately sighed at the beauty.

"I gave this to you, so there's no returning." Yagura tossed the jade hairpin that Sakura initially had onto the floor, breaking it, and reached for Sakura's hair.

"Mizukage-sama! This princess can do it herself!" Sakura freaked and tried to protect her hair.

Yagura ignored her feeble protests and continued with his manipulations, "Geez little girl, you have too much hair!"

"There's no need to put it on personally!"

"Hold still!"

After a short while, the long braid was twined into a bun with the Pearls of Mist keeping it in place. The hairstyle was rough and uneven, and in the end both parties were panting from the struggle.

The Mizukage used both hands to lift up the Konoha's Princess face and twisted it back and forth, admiring his handiwork. It was his first time pinning up a woman's hair, and he was quite proud of his accomplishment.

"You're too stubborn little girl. You should have worn the hairpin in the first place, and I wouldn't have had to do this."

'You shouldn't have given me that hairpin in the first place!' Sakura secretly retorted in her mind. She wanted to cry but no tears could come out.

Pleased with his creation, Yagura nodded in self approval, "You have to leave this on for the rest of the banquet. Or else…" Yagura leaned forward until his mouth was at her ear, "Or else I'll have to fix it again for you, Onee-chan~"

Letting go of Sakura's furiously blushing face, Yagura sauntered back towards his seat while the other emperors looking at him with mixed reactions.

As he grabbed a cup of sake to sip, he purposely looked towards the currently known suitors to see their reactions.

Madara's eyes were penetrating towards him, and Yagura sent back a cheeky grin in response. The two Uchiha princes were much more interesting… They were both looking at the flummoxed princess who was trying her best to hide her face, but couldn't hide the pearls glittering brightly on her hair.

Yagura's eyes traced the reactions of the others around until he felt the faint trace of bloodlust.

Oh? He found the source.

It seems as if the Suna prince was also affected by his previous display.

A chuckle escaped from the Mizukage's mouth.

This game is going to be quite fun to play.

* * *

Hello my dear readers~

What's this? A double update!? Yes, it is! Yagura is super fun to write~

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter :3 I found it interesting to write part of it in Madara's POV he's so mysterious but I hope this added a bit more personality to him. And I know lots of people want to know the different reactions, so I added a bit more. (I originally thought to stop it at the Onee-chan part)

For those who get confused on when they refer to themselves in third person or first person, think about the context of the conversation. I've copied this from many Chinese novels that I read and third person is when the conversation is formal, between master/servant or king/official. First person is a very informal way of talking, usually between commoners or friends. So since Madara is the emperor, most of his words are in third person because everyone in the country is below him in rank. While Yagura tends to be more casual. I'm sure some find it confusing, but I'm not changing it. I feel like it adds to the serious mood.

Next chapter will be the start of the Martial Arts Tournament! I have a question for my dear readers. Do you all want the setup similar to the gennin exams? And how detailed should I go? Personally, I've read some of those AUs where they do a play-by-play of what happened in the manga/anime and I always end up breezing through them since it gets a bit tedious. I planned on being pretty vague and not typing the specific details. Focusing on the more important parts. Does that work for everyone?

Next chapter might be a few weeks from now so that I have time to get everyone's opinion on the tournament.

And for those that want Kabuto/Kimimaru as suitors... Might not happen. I feel like they work better as brother figures. I might change things if more people request them.

Best,

WhiteMint


End file.
